This document summarizes a project investigating sustainable bioenergy production on degraded land in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. The project aims to identify potential for sustainable biomass on degraded land, restore degraded areas, and support rural livelihoods. It involves reviewing land availability and species suitability, establishing research trials of key species on degraded peatland, analyzing fuel productivity and business models, and engaging stakeholders. Preliminary results identified 19 tree species suitable for degraded terrestrial soils and 13 pioneer species for peat soils. The project provides opportunities to restore land while producing sustainable bioenergy and supporting rural communities, but further work is needed to fully understand environmental trade-offs, governance, and markets.

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4.  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

5. 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

6. 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…

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

8. 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… )

9. cifor.org
blog.cifor.org
ForestsTreesAgroforestry.org
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