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Identifying the predisposing factors of soil erosion acceleration is an intriguing worldwide subject, since each site has unique characteristics. Here, the authors aimed to analyze the influence of slope position on soil erosion acceleration in the Tertiary-Quaternary Volcanic Landscape. Soil erosion was measured through a volumetric approach. Soil properties analysis included soil texture, aggregate stability, permeability, bulk density, particle density, porosity, and organic matter. Soil properties were purposively assessed at 18 sampling points. This study showed that the slope position determined soil erosion and characteristics. Typically, the dominant processes were soil aggregate destruction due to raindrops and transportation by runoff on the upper slope. In addition, greater flow volume and higher flow erosivity are the ultimate consequences of flow accumulation from the upper slope. Those processes resulted in the even distribution of 14.6 ton/ha rill erosion at the peak of the rainy season. Surprisingly, the most significant soil erosion process on the middle slope was runoff scouring, which resulted in 4.7 tons per hectare of gully erosion at some concave spots. Furthermore, the dominant mechanism on the lower slope was the debris deposition. Although the soil parameters on the middle slope were good, soil erosion developed because the overland flow reduced soil porosity and permeability. Since gully and rill erosion are the primary causes of soil loss, the slope position directly impacts the volume and direction of overland flow. Finally, controlling the soil erosion rate should be concentrated on rill and gully erosion. Communities and stakeholders can use the findings to implement sustainable land management, particularly in the regions with comparable typologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesian watershed management continues to struggle with various problems caused by natural disasters, particularly hydrometeorological disasters, which are worsened by the effects of climate change. Coordinating and synchronizing the interest of many parties in watershed management with various scenarios of natural conditions is a big challenge in the creation of a healthy and productive watershed. Multiple initiatives have been undertaken, from establishing rules and policies to implementing them and assessing the effects, leading to various lessons being learned for better management. This article presents a study on watershed management in Indonesia and recommends alternative improvements toward healthy and productive watershed management. A combination of a descriptive qualitative analysis of the authors' experience in various research activities and a critical analysis is used to examine existing conditions and to formulate recommendations for better sustainable management toward a healthy and productive watershed. Most Indonesian watersheds are susceptible to degradation due to numerous threats. The challenges in Indonesian watershed management, including land degradation and climate-induced disasters, lack of synchronization and coordination, limited resources, and anthropogenic factors, have led to decreased watershed health and productivity and hindered effective management. Integrated management, especially at the micro-watershed level, addresses these challenges. Successful integrated watershed management requires community involvement, appropriate management action for specific locations, technological support, regulatory alignment, and stakeholder collaboration to ensure a healthy, productive, and sustainable watershed for present and future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world, with 17,000 islands of varying sizes and elevations, from lowlands to very high mountains, stretching more than 5000 km eastward from Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Papua. Although occupying only 1.3% of the world's land area, Indonesia possesses the third-largest rainforest and the second-highest level of biodiversity, with very high species diversity and endemism. However, during the last two decades, Indonesia has been known as a country with a high level of deforestation, a producer of smoke from burning forests and land, and a producer of carbon emissions. The aim of this paper is to review the environmental history and the long process of Indonesian forest management towards achieving environmental sustainability and community welfare. To do this, we analyze the milestones of Indonesian forest management history, present and future challenges, and provide strategic recommendations toward a viable Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) system. Our review showed that the history of forestry management in Indonesia has evolved through a long process, especially related to contestation over the control of natural resources and supporting policies and regulations. During the process, many efforts have been applied to reduce the deforestation rate, such as a moratorium on permitting primary natural forest and peat land, land rehabilitation and soil conservation, environmental protection, and other significant regulations. Therefore, these efforts should be maintained and improved continuously in the future due to their significant positive impacts on a variety of forest areas toward the achievement of viable SFM. Finally, we conclude that the Indonesian government has struggled to formulate sustainable forest management policies that balance economic, ecological, and social needs, among others, through developing and implementing social forestry instruments, developing and implementing human resource capacity, increasing community literacy, strengthening forest governance by eliminating ambiguity and overlapping regulations, simplification of bureaucracy, revitalization of traditional wisdom, and fair law enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehending the characteristics of infiltration is essential for conserving spring recharge areas, particularly on hillslopes of a Quaternary volcanic landscape. Quantitative investigations were carried out to identify soil physical properties and morphological features related to infiltration behavior. We used 15 transects with 70 sampling points in total to collect soil samples, observed morphological characteristics, and measured the infiltration. Data analysis employed statistical methods, including principal component analysis (PCA) and K-means cluster analysis. PCA revealed that infiltration was strongly correlated with slope, slope length, surface curvature, and slope position and that it was a function of soil physical properties, i.e., soil moisture, particle size distribution, and bulk density. The K-means cluster analysis classified the sampling points into four clusters that corresponded to three slope positions, namely upper slope, middle slope, and footslope. The high infiltration rate in the middle slope was caused by the relatively steep slope, sandy soil texture, low soil moisture, and low bulk density. On the contrary, the relatively flat slope, high clay content, high soil moisture, and high bulk density of the footslope created a low infiltration rate. According to these infiltration parameters, the preferred area for spring water catchment conservation was the middle slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominated by mountainous topography, high rainfall, and erosion-sensitive soil types, and with the majority of its population living in rural areas as farmers, most of Indonesia's watersheds are highly vulnerable to erosion. In 1984, the Government of Indonesia established 22 priority watersheds to be handled, which marked the start of formal soil and water conservation activities. Although it has not fully succeeded in improving watershed conditions from all aspects, something which is indicated by fluctuations in the area of degraded land, over the past 40 years the Indonesian government has systematically implemented various soil and water conservation techniques in various areas with the support of policies, laws and regulations, and research and development. These systematic efforts have shown positive results, with a 40% reduction in the area of degraded land over the last 15 years from 2004–2018. This paper reviews policy, implementation, and research and development of soil and water conservation activities in Indonesia over the last 40 years from the 1980s to 2020 and explores the dynamics of the activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the implementation and obstacles of watershed management, and the alternative solutions based on a synoptic review of related studies and experiences across Indonesia. The review found that problems in the institutional aspect were hierarchical confusion, discrepancy, and asynchrony among regulations, and weak (participation, synchronization, and coordination) among watershed management stakeholders. The weaknesses in the planning stage are integration among sectors, a lack of community participation, and limited readiness to integrate watershed planning into regional planning. Stakeholders' involvement is also a critical factor in successful implementation of degraded watershed rehabilitation, including in peatland and mangrove areas. Failure should be minimized by providing adequate information on degraded watershed characteristics, appropriate species choices, and effective mechanical construction for soil and water conservation. Community participation as the main factor in driving watershed management should be achieved by strengthening public awareness of the importance of a sustainable watershed and providing access for the community to be involved in each stage of watershed management. Another problem is data gaps which are essential to address from the planning to evaluation stages. The gaps can be bridged by using remotely sensed data and by applying hydrological-based simulation models. Simplified criteria for watershed assessment may also be required, depending on site-specific issues and the watershed scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]