Dissemination of the District Regulation on Fire Prevention Masterplan

Ketapang District Government held a dissemination of Ketapang Regent Regulation (Perbup) No. 48/2023 on the prevention of forest and land fires in the two Peatland Hydrological Units (PHUs, locally called KHG), i.e. KHG Pawan-Kepulu and KHG Kepulu-Pesaguan, Ketapang, West Kalimantan. The event was held on 23 August 2023 and was also scheduled as a Plenary Meeting for the preparation of District Action Plans (RAD) in implementing strategies for preventing and suppressing forest and land fires (karhutla) in Ketapang District for the next five years. In his written key opening speech, the Regent of Ketapang, Martinus Rantan, expressed that this activity was in line with the vision and mission of Ketapang District as stated in the Medium-term Development Plan (RPJM) to improve the quality of life and welfare of the community, especially through preventing fires that could harm the community.

According to the Head of Bappeda, Harto, the masterplan for forest and land fire prevention was initiated in 2020 as a result of discussions between stakeholders who felt the need for prevention efforts. Harto reminded the audience on the detrimental effects of smoke and haze to people's health and activities due to the raging fires that occur during the dry season. Of the peatland areas in Ketapang that reaches around 250,000 ha, this masterplan focuses on the 65,000 ha PHUs in Matan Hilir Selatan and Benua Kayong sub-districts, because these areas are the most susceptible areas to fire every year.

The Perbup is the basis for implementing the masterplan document which functions as a guideline on fire prevention as well as for long-term peatland management of the two PHUs. This Perbup also summarises the strategies from the masterplan, i.e. increasing public capacity and awareness, structuring and improving peat hydrology, forest protection and sustainable land management, and peatland monitoring. To organize these various activities, collaboration can be built with various stakeholders such as the private sector (companies), NGOs and the community.

The stakeholders who attended this event included representatives from the Joint Secretariat (Sekber) for Sustainable Natural Resources Management, the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM), the Community Empowerment and Village Government Service (DPMPD), the Public Housing Service, Settlement Areas and Environment (PerkimLH) Ketapang, Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Ketapang, Public Works and Spatial Planning Service (PUPR) Ketapang, Manggala Agni Ketapang, and the Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA). Several representatives from Matan Hilir Selatan District and from Sungai Pelang Village, Sungai Besar Village, Pematang Gadung Village, and Sungai Bakau Village also attended this activity. Other participants include representatives of Indonesian Association of Palm Oil Producers (APKASINDO) and several NGOs such as Tropenbos Indonesia (TI), YIARI, and Sangga Bumi Lestari.

The discussion session focused on the District Action Plan, in which the participants provided inputs and thoughts to Bappeda who leads the Action Plan development. Some of the inputs were related to request for administration supports and for budget provision in implementing fire prevention programs, improved collaboration for peat monitoring, mapping of fire-prone areas, implementation of awareness raising and planning for canal blocking construction, and formulation of peat utilization schemes that provide economic benefits to the communities. All parties present expressed their commitments to support the implementation of the masterplan in the formulated RAD.

As closing remarks, Head of the Joint-Secretariat, Donatus Rantan said that "prevention" is the keyword in the masterplan; therefore, activities related to prevention need to be fully supported within the context of addressing forest and land fires.**