PENCEGAHAN KEBAKARAN LAHAN GAMBUT MELALUI PENGUATAN HUKUM FORMAL TINGKAT DESA

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.