INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON WETLANDS AND SUSTAINABILITY 2007

THE PROBLEM OF WETLAND TERMINOLOGY IN INDONESIA:

A REVIEW OF WETLAND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
Devi N. Choesin
devi@sith.itb.ac.id
Abstract

Wetland classification is an important prerequisite for effective wetland management

and conservation. Beyond the question of “What constitutes a wetland?” is “How
many different wetland types are there?”. In many languages of the world, confusion
and inconsistencies in terminology use have often led to difficulties in answering the
latter question, a problem which may consequently affect the legal protection of
wetlands. A classification system assigns wetlands to categories based on their
origin, structure, hydrology, dominant lifeform, or some other combination of physical
and/or biological attributes. Such a system will provide uniformity in concepts and
terminology, so that consistent terms to define particular types of wetlands can be
used for scientific and management purposes. As a tropical country rich in
ecosystem diversity, Indonesia must deal with the problems of wetland terminology,
classification and inventory. With more than 40 million hectares of wetland area,
Indonesia faces many challenges in realizing its national strategy and action plan for
wetland management. This paper discusses the goals and strategies of wetland
classification in general, with Indonesia as a specific case study. The paper reviews
current classification schemes based on existing terminology, and attempts to
identify common problems encountered in adopting a classification system.
Comparisons are made among several classification attempts in Indonesia, the
Ramsar Convention System, and other international systems. Lessons learnt from
mainly temperate examples are also discussed in their relevance to the tropical
conditions of Indonesia. Regardless of the obvious language diversity, it is important
that in any particular language, there are comprehensive definitions and a clear
understanding of different wetland types, so that wetland scientists, managers and
policymakers around the world can exchange information and communicate
effectively.

Keywords: Indonesia; Wetland Classification; Wetland Terminology

Ecology & Biosystematics Research Group,School of Life Sciences and Technology,Bandung Institute of
Technology (ITB),Jalan Ganeca 10, Bandung 40132, IndonesiaPhone/Fax: 62-22-2511575.
 INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON WETLANDS AND SUSTAINABILITY 2007

Ecology & Biosystematics Research Group,School of Life Sciences and Technology,Bandung Institute of
Technology (ITB),Jalan Ganeca 10, Bandung 40132, IndonesiaPhone/Fax: 62-22-2511575.