Abstract:
The condition of peatlands in several regions in Riau Province is quite alarming,
because there are often repeated fires in the same place. The absence of solutions
from the government and corporations that produce in the vicinity of the location of
the fire made residents more oppressed as victims. Because of that, it was felt that
initiation from the local community (village) was needed in the management of
peatlands, which included water management, fire prevention and control, and
protection of natural resources. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the need for
initiation from local communities in peatland management in order to prevent fire
outbreaks. The locus of research in villages prone to peatland fires on the coast of
Bengkalis Regency. The results of the study revealed that although there were formal
regulations in the national sphere regarding the management and protection of
peatlands, their implementation had not yet reached the grassroots level. Therefore,
in efforts to prevent fires, community participation in peatland management must be
prioritized, especially in rural communities located in the target areas of restoration.
The activity can be in the form of government and village community facilitation to
develop regulations that can be used to support peat restoration in the village area,
especially related to fire prevention aspects. This is based on the idea that because it
comes from the initiative and agreement of the people themselves, of course the rules
will be more binding, so that the application will be maximized.
