Himlal Baral
Incorporating Bioenergy Production and
Landscape Restoration: Lessons from Central
Kalimantan, Indonesia
International Workshop on:
Developing science- and evidence-based policy and practice of
bioenergy in Indonesia within the context of sustainable development
Bogor, 14 February 2017

Project background and aims
• Bioenergy – one of the most versatile form of renewable
energy sources
• Conversion of arable land/native forest for bioenergy
‘Food-energy-environment trilemma’
• Use of degraded or marginal land – as an alternative to
produce bioenergy while restoring degraded land
• This project aims:
o to identify the potential of sustainable biomass
production on degraded and marginal land;
o restoration of degraded land;
o supporting rural livelihoods.
Photo: CIFOR

Key questions
Q1: How can sustainable bioenergy be developed to
avoid the food-energy- environment trilemma with
alternative feedstocks while restoring degraded
landscapes?
Q2: What are the most promising species to achieve
efficient bioenergy production from degraded land in
Indonesia? Species characters, productivity and
additional environmental values?
Q3: What are the socio-economic and environmental
benefits/impacts of energy plantation on degraded
land?
Critical
land
Conservatio
n area
Non-protected area
Yes
No
Protected
area
Land
Cover Map
Available
Licensed to a
concession
Site
available
Suitability
analysis
Growth place
suitability attribute
Landsyste
m map
Biophysics attributes
Bioenergy
species
Yield
estimation
Productivity rate
Potential
Bioenergy
in Indonesia

 Component I: Reviewing/mapping policies, land availability, species suitability, potential
productivity, community perceptions – opportunities and challenges
 Component II: Establishing research/demo trial of key bioenergy species (trees not
herbaceous plants) in degraded peatland in C Kalimantan
 Component III: Laboratory/chemical analysis – fuel/energy productivity/efficiency and
suitable business model for smallholders/SMEs
 Stakeholder engagement and capacity building: work with local/national partners –
universities and community groups
 Potential for scaling up these activities and linking to restoration of degraded land for
biomass production
Project activities/components...
Review/stakeholders
perception
Action research/ field
trial and learning
Laboratory/chemical
analysis, Business model
Potential for scaling up Photo: CIFOR

Site-specific species selection for bienergy production
Terrestrial soil
• n=232 references
• n=19 tree species suitable
• Tolerances:
Drought, poor and saline soils
having pH ranging between 4 –
9
• Potentials:
6 – 40 t biomass ha-1 yr-1
2 – 36 t bio-oil ha-1 yr-1
Semi-terrestrial soil (Peat)
• Review in progress
• 13 pioneer species to produce
biomass
• Need to develop appropriate
harvesting technology
• 2 MSc students currently
working
• Expected to complete by
Apr’2017

Site-specific species selection for bienergy production
Terrestrial soil
• n=232 references
• n=19 tree species suitable
• Tolerances:
Drought, poor and saline
soils having pH ranging
between 4 – 9
• Potentials:
6 – 40 t biomass ha-1 yr-1
2 – 36 t bio-oil ha-1 yr-1
Semi-terrestrial soil (Peat)
• Review in progress
• 13 pioneer species to produce
biomass
• Need to develop appropriate
harvesting technology
• 2 MSc students currently
working
• Expected to complete by
Apr’2017
• Geographic impact – Indonesia, South East Asia,
• Institutional impact – Governments, private/
institutional investors, small and medium enterprises,
community groups…

 Monoculture  Mixed Crops
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Leafnumbers
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Leafnumbers
Months
• Initial results indicate potentials of agroforestry
system
• Further investigation is required to identify yield,
returns etc.

Interim conclusions and the way forward…
Provides opportunity to restore the degraded land
while producing sustainable bioenergy and supporting
rural livelihoods…
• Avoids conflicts between food, fuel and environment
• Create jobs opportunities in rural areas – production
processing
• Improve energy security
• Contribution to several SDGs
• Further work/investigation is required to answer
some emerging issues…(ES trade-offs,
tenure/governance, market… )

cifor.org
blog.cifor.org
ForestsTreesAgroforestry.org
THANK YOU