akar.earthForest Carbon and EUDR in South Kalimantan
Forest carbon in South Kalimantan: Meratus mountains, Barito swamps, coal mining land, palm oil and rubber, mangroves, project fit and EUDR exposure explained.
South Kalimantan is the smallest province on Indonesian Borneo, shaped by the Meratus mountains, the Barito swamps and decades of coal mining. Its forest carbon potential lies in protecting the Meratus forests with customary communities, restoring degraded and mined land, and swamp and mangrove restoration. EUDR exposure comes mainly from palm oil and rubber.
Forest and land cover profile
The Meratus range runs north–south through the province, separating the Barito lowlands in the west from the coastal plains and Laut Island (Pulau Laut) in the east. The Meratus holds the province’s main remaining hill and lowland rainforest. It has no national park, but it is widely seen as South Kalimantan’s ecological backbone and has been the focus of long-running community campaigns against new mining and plantation permits. The Meratus area has also been developed as a geopark.
West of the Meratus, the Barito and Negara river lowlands contain freshwater swamps and some peat, home to swamp buffalo herding and fishing communities. The coast has mangroves, especially in Tanah Laut and Kotabaru, and the proboscis monkey, the province’s mascot, lives in riverine and mangrove forests.
Peat, swamps and mangroves
Peat is less extensive than in Central or West Kalimantan but occurs in the Barito lowlands and along the border with Central Kalimantan. Seasonal swamps are more common. Drainage for agriculture and plantations has caused fires in dry years.
Mangroves line the south and east coasts and Pulau Laut. Pond construction and coastal development have reduced them. Restoration is a realistic blue carbon option.
Main commodities and deforestation drivers
- Coal: South Kalimantan is one of Indonesia’s main coal-producing provinces. Open-cut mines have cleared large areas, especially in the south and east. Not an EUDR commodity.
- Oil palm: estates and smallholders in Kotabaru, Tanah Bumbu, Tabalong and other districts.
- Rubber: smallholder rubber, an important income for Banjar and Dayak farmers.
- Pulpwood and timber: plantation forestry and some logging.
- Rice: in tidal and swamp rice systems.
Drivers of loss include mining, oil palm expansion, logging and swamp drainage. Severe floods in early 2021 drew attention to land cover change in the Barito catchment.
Which carbon project types fit
| Project type | Fit in South Kalimantan | Key issue |
|---|---|---|
| Community forest protection (REDD+) | Meratus forests | Customary tenure recognition; mining and plantation permits |
| ARR on degraded land | Abandoned fields, degraded forest estate | 10-year rule, fire |
| Post-mining restoration | Old mine areas without active reclamation duty | Additionality, soil condition |
| Swamp and peat restoration | Barito lowlands | Hydrology, fire |
| Mangrove restoration | Tanah Laut, Kotabaru, Pulau Laut | Pond tenure |
Post-mining land needs careful additionality analysis. Mining licence holders have legal reclamation obligations, so only activity beyond those obligations, or on land where no obligation remains, can be credited. See additionality and the ARR hub.
EUDR exposure
- Palm oil: mixed estate and smallholder supply. Every plot needs geolocation; plots in forest estate without permits fail legality. See EUDR and palm oil.
- Rubber: smallholder rubber through dealers to crumb rubber factories in Banjarmasin. See EUDR and rubber.
- Wood: plantation and natural forest timber needs harvest-area geolocation.
The 31 December 2020 cut-off matters for recent palm expansion in the east of the province.
Customary land and social forestry
The Dayak Meratus communities live in the mountains and practise rotational farming, keeping forest, rubber gardens and fallows in a mosaic. They have customary territories (balai adat systems) that are only partly recognised by the state. Customary forest recognition and social forestry licences have been granted in some villages.
Rotational farming is sometimes misread as deforestation on satellite maps. Projects must understand the farming cycle before setting baselines and must not penalise traditional fallow systems. Permenhut 6/2026 confirms customary communities as legitimate carbon participants. See customary forest carbon.
Floods and watershed restoration
The early 2021 floods in South Kalimantan hit many districts in the Barito and Martapura catchments and sparked public debate about mining, plantations and forest loss upstream. Hydrologists point to many causes, including extreme rainfall, but the floods strengthened the case for upland forest protection and restoration. Watershed restoration on degraded land in the Meratus foothills offers carbon removals and flood risk reduction together.
Practical next steps
Screen for overlapping mining and plantation permits, forest estate status, peat and customary claims. Our feasibility and eligibility service covers this. Compare with East Kalimantan, and see the forest carbon hub.
Frequently asked questions
Which forest carbon projects fit South Kalimantan?
Protection of the Meratus mountain forests with Dayak Meratus communities, restoration of degraded land including some post-mining land, swamp and peat restoration in the Barito lowlands, and mangrove restoration on the coast.
Can post-coal-mining land in South Kalimantan earn carbon credits?
Only where tree planting goes beyond the mining company's legal reclamation duty, and where land has been non-forest for at least ten years. Legally required reclamation is not additional.
What is South Kalimantan's EUDR exposure?
Palm oil and rubber are the main covered commodities, with some wood. Coal, the province's largest export, is not covered.