Since 2009 KEMITRAAN has been carrying out works focusing on good governance in the province of Central Kalimantan. Continued in 2010, Pulang Pisau district became an area that began to become a focus issue for environmental governance, forestry, community empowerment with an economic and social approach.
In 2018-2020, KEMITRAAN in collaboration with the Peat Restoration Agency implemented the Peat Care Village (Desa Peduli Gambut/DPG) program in Pulang Pisau district. The DPG program is an effort to protect and manage peat ecosystems by involving greater community participation through institutional, policy, and economic strengthening. The main objective of this approach is to prevent forest and land fires. In addition, Pulang Pisau Regency is one of seven other regencies/cities with 59.40% or 575,808 hectares of peatland out of a total of nearly 3 million hectares in Central Kalimantan.
During the three years of implementing the DPG program, KEMITRAAN involved the District Government, community groups, the private sector, the TNI, and the police. DPG covers 57 villages in 7 sub-districts, 48 business groups, and 13 farmer groups with 239 members in Pulang Pisau district.
In handling forest and land fires in Pulang Pisau district which was carried out in 2019 – 2020, KEMITRAAN facilitated the construction of 40 units of drilled wells and 13 units of canal blocking in 5 villages, that is Kahayan Kuala, Pandih Batu, and Sebangau Kuala Subdistricts. Together with BPBD, TNI, and local police, KEMITRAAN also supports the facilitation of mapping the area of forest and land fires. Due to this collaboration, around 10,000 hectares of forest and land fires have been identified in 10 villages in the Districts of Jabiren Raya, Kahayan Hilir, Sebangau Kuala, and Pandih Batu.
Entering 2021, KEMITRAAN is developing the next program called the Prevention and Handling of Forest and Land Fires through “Strengthening Indonesian Capacity for Anticipatory Peat Fire Management (SIAP-IFM)”. This program is the continuance of the work of the Kishugu institution which is supported by UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) and several ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Bappenas and BNPB in 2018-2019 in three locations, namely Ogan Komering Ilir Regency (South Sumatra), Riau in Pelalawan Regency (Riau) and Pulang Pisau Regency (Central Kalimantan). The SIAP-IFM program will be implemented for a year and will involve the active role of the parties in the three locations as a model for handling forest and land fires using a cluster approach.
Based on the reflection of KEMITRAAN, efforts to prevent and handle forest and land fires in Pulang Pisau district which were carried out three years earlier (2018-2020) are still focused on one party, which is the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). Although the regional apparatus organizations do lead the relevant sectors, handling forest and land fires disasters requires collective work from all parties. Especially when the local district already has a joint group or Karhutla Task Force which involves various parties, such as the Agriculture Service, the Environment Service, the Productive Forest Management Unit (KPHP), the TNI, the Police, Manggala Agni, the private sector and even touching on the site level, namely sub-district and village.
In 2019, the forest and land fires disaster hit around 10,000 hectares, so that it caught the public’s attention. The handling of the disaster is seen as still reactive. BPBD, as the leader for forest and land fires and other disasters, asks for help from the parties who are members of the Task Force ‘suddenly.’ If the strategy has been carefully prepared and well coordinated, then the forest and land fires disaster can be handled more quickly.
Based on the analysis of this problem, KEMITRAAN through the SIAP-IFM program seeks to encourage actions to prevent and deal with forest and land fires with a more optimal strategy in Pulang Pisau Regency. The initial challenge that must be taken is to convince the parties involved about the importance of their respective contributions in preventing forest and land fires. The commitment to involve all parties will be stated in the Regional Action Plan (RAD) for the Prevention and Handling of Forest and Land Fires for the next 2 years.
The efforts to rearrange the strategy for preventing and handling forest and land fires have the support from the Regent of Pulang Pisau, H. Edy Pratowo, S.Sos., M.M. “Prevention and handling of forest and land fires in the peat area of Pulang Pisau Regency requires collaboration from various parties, it cannot only focus on one party. Let’s create an integrated synergy in handling forest and land fires!” he said during the Technical Coordination Meeting (RAKOR) for the Prevention and Handling of Forest and Land Fires on Thursday, April 12, 2021. During the event, the signing of the MoU on Sustainable Peatland Management with KEMITRAAN and BPBD was also held.
The Secretary of BPDB in the Coordination Meeting of the Parties related to the Prevention and Handling of Forest and Land Fires which was held on Thursday, April 29th 2021, also expressed his opinion in line with the regent. “Formation of the Cluster Team for the Prevention and Handling of Forest and Land Fires, of course, is not just a team and finished. Each party must be committed to contribute. For example, the prevention program and its budget will later become a Regional Action Plan (Rancangan Aksi Daerah/RAD) as an attachment to the Decree for the Establishment of the Cluster Team issued by the Regent.”
The contribution of each party will be adjusted to the program in the relevant regional apparatus organizations as well as the private sector. In tracking and collecting program data and budgets, the roles of each party are clearly illustrated.
The parties include:
- The Department of Agriculture which has a program to strengthen farmer institutions will facilitate the clearing of agricultural land without burning, the formation of the Fire Extinguisher Farmers Group (KTPA) and others;
- The DPMD (Department of Community and Village Empowerment) program will strengthen Village Government institutions and Village Policies. Such as facilitation and socialization of village budget understanding which will include disaster prevention and management. Including Karhutla and Village Regulations that strengthen the use of the budget;
- The Environment Agency (DLH) will focus on outreach to community groups. Such as through leaflets or socialization at the village/kelurahan level about the dangers of forest and land fires and their prevention;
- KPHP (Production Forest Management Unit) XXXI Kahayan Hilir has a program to strengthen the Fire Care Community (MPA) institution and carry out patrols. They will involve the TNI, Police, Manggala Agni and others task forces in the form of an Integrated Patrol;
- BPBD has various prevention programs. These programs include socialization, preparation of documents on the risks of forest and land fires and their actions as well as early education related to the prevention and handling of forest and land fires.
Through the SIAP – IFM program, KEMITRAAN seeks to strengthen collaboration between parties in preventing and handling forest and land fires in Pulang Pisau district. KEMITRAAN believes that optimal collaboration will realize a sustainable strategy in saving the environment.
Writter: Andi Kiky (Deputy Cluster, SIAP-IFM Pulang Pisau)
