POLICY PATHWAYS FOR MANAGING AND SCALING ALTERNATE WETTING AND DRYING FOR METHANE MITIGATION IN INDONESIAN RICE SYSTEMS

Abstract

Rice cultivation is a major source of methane emissions due to continuous flooding practices that create anaerobic soil conditions. In Indonesia, where rice systems are central to food security and rural livelihoods, reducing agricultural methane emissions is essential to achieving national climate targets without compromising productivity. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) has been widely recognized as an effective irrigation practice that significantly reduces methane emissions while maintaining or improving rice yields and water-use efficiency. Nevertheless, large-scale adoption of AWD in Indonesia remains limited, mainly due to policy, institutional, and economic constraints rather than technical limitations.This study analyzes policy pathways for managing and scaling AWD as a national methane mitigation strategy in Indonesian rice systems. Using a qualitative synthesis of scientific literature, policy documents, and international benchmarking, the study proposes a phased National Roadmap for AWD implementation (2025–2029) aligned with Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) requirements. An extended THIO-E framework is applied to examine the complementary roles of government, academia, and the private sector in creating an enabling ecosystem for AWD adoption.The findings emphasize the importance of regulatory coherence, participatory extension, and performance-based incentives. Based on these insights, the study formulates S.M.A.R.T.-based policy recommendations to support the institutionalization and sustainable scaling of AWD in Indonesia.