PhD Scholar

Natural Forest Loss, Land Use Change and Impact upon River Flow Regimes & Limnology of the Singkarak - Ombilin River Basin, West Sumatra, Indonesia

E-mail: kevin.jeanes@anu.edu.au

It is evident throughout Indonesia, SE Asia and the tropics world-wide that natural tropical forests are disappearing and that water resources are widely degrading in quantity or quality, or reaching their limits of supply versus increasing water use demand. Yet, there is an on-going global scientific debate in the field of tropical forest hydrology and varying opinions as to the likely impacts of forest loss upon water resources. In light of this scientific debate the current research seeks to explore and review the current 'new hydrology philosophy' where recent findings of some leading tropical hydrologists suggest that the maintenance or loss of natural forest (i.e. cover of trees) may not be the most crucial factor for the preservation of all catchment functions. However others warn that the linkage between forest and water is more complicated.

With a case study focus upon the Singkarak lake and upper Ombilin river basins of West Sumatra province, the research focuses upon a systematic exploration of the bio-physical factors that lie behind, or are acting in conjunction with, the impact of forest loss and land use change upon watershed functions within the forested uplands of West Sumatra. The study aims firstly to explore the impacts upon river basin and catchment capacity to buffer peak rain events and release water gradually (i.e. the elements of seasonal river flow stability). Secondly it will explore the impact upon the river basin and catchment capacity to transmit water in the form of total annual yield and maintain water quality (in form of reduced sediment and pollution transport). Thirdly, it will explore the impact of these changes on the limnology of a receiving freshwater lake (Lake Singkarak).

The doctoral research is currently carried out under guidance of the Fenner School's Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management Centre, ANU, with a collaborative linkage to, and advisory support from, the World Agro-Forestry Centre (ICRAF), South East Asian Regional Office, Bogor, Indonesia. Financial assistance, in the form of a Miscellaneous Scholarship award by the Fenner School, has supported the research since Year 2 of the program.