Indonesia’s 840 lakes have a cumulative area of 21,000 km2 and provide pivotal ecosystem services. However, climate change and human disturbances have disrupted the biogeochemistry of these systems, deteriorating water quality and potentially decreasing resilience to projected change. To address these challenges, we propose to use paleolimnological studies to reconstruct long-term environmental shifts through multi-proxy analysis of sediment cores. By analysing sediment cores, we expect to gain vital information from the past that will enable us to predict likely future trajectories of change and ultimately contribute to sustainable management, that supports and develops resilience in Indonesian tropical lakes. Paleolimnological studies in Indonesian tropical lakes are scarce, despite their potential to reveal ecosystem changes. Thus, a paleolimnological approach is necessary to enhance our understanding of these ecosystems and should be more widely utilised by limnology practitioners.
Keywords: paleolimnology, tropical lakes, Indonesia