The Two Faces of the Mapili Watershed: Wet Upstream, Densely Populated Downstream

Image: article cover, from Wahyudi et al. (2018), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

A research team from the Makassar Forestry and Environment Research and Development Centre has analysed the characteristics and typology of the Mapili watershed in West Sulawesi Province. The study, published in the Journal Wasian in 2018, found that the Mapili watershed cannot be managed in a single, uniform way. It comprises two types of area, each with distinct features and problems.

The first type lies in the middle and upper parts of the watershed. This area is sparsely populated, at around 97 people per square kilometre, but receives high rainfall, exceeding 2,500 mm per year. The second type lies downstream, where conditions are reversed: the population is dense, at around 377 people per square kilometre, while rainfall is low, below 1,500 mm per year. According to the study, these two types face different watershed problems, so they need to be addressed differently.

For forest-dependent communities and local government, these findings provide a basis for designing more precisely targeted watershed management programmes. The wet upstream area faces different problems from the densely populated, dry downstream area. The study emphasises that the physical, social, economic, cultural and institutional characteristics of the Mapili watershed all interact to shape its management system.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article Analysis of Characteristics and Typology of Mapili Watershed West Sulawesi Province by Wahyudi Isnan Wahyudi, Wahyudi Isnan Wahyudi and Hasnawir Hasnawir Hasnawir, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 5 No. 1 (2018). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Wahyudi, W. I., Wahyudi, W. I., & Hasnawir, H. H. (2018). Analysis of Characteristics and Typology of Mapili Watershed West Sulawesi Province. Jurnal Wasian, 5(1), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.62142/jka41436

If you use these findings in coursework, a thesis or other writing, cite the original article above, not this news story. The original article is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.