Abstract:
Despite the unfamiliar term “multifunctionality of agriculture” and the tremendous number of debates made over the past 10 years, multiple benefits from paddy rice farming in the Asian monsoon region are very significance due to the various inherent characteristics of paddy rice in this region. They were identified as rural vitalization, social security, nature and environmental preservations, and social and cultural functions. As studies estimating the monetary value of nature and environmental functions in Korea and Japan revealed, the economic value of multifunctionality from paddy rice farming reached to 70∼150% of total annual rice production cost of each country, and would have been even higher, had other functions been included. High rainfall amount and intensity cause recurrent floods in the lower basins where Koto Panjang dam located. Flood intensity and frequency have been increasing with time as characterized by increasing peak flow and annual runoff coefficient (ratio of total river flow to total rainfall), despite similar annual rainfall over time. Rapid land use changes from forest to agriculture and from agriculture to urban and industrial development reduce watershed capacity to hold water and thus increase the threats to flooding in the downstream areas. In this paper, discussion focused on the role of sawah flood and erosion mitigation function
