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Nyoto Suwignyo: Management of Leuser Ecosystem Area Requires Cooperation of Many Parties

ACEH - The Leuser Ecosystem Area or often referred to as "KEL" is one of the most important ecosystem icons on earth. KEL in Aceh Province consists of Mount Leuser and Mount Leuser National Park (TNGL).

Mount Leuser is part of TNGL whose peak is around 3,404 meters above sea level in Gayo Lues Regency. Meanwhile, TNGL in the Aceh Region is part of KEL which has an area of ​​± 624,388 ha or 28% of the total area of ​​​​KEL of 2,255,557 hectares, which stretches across 13 districts in the Aceh province, namely: West Aceh, Nagan Raya, Southwest Aceh, South Aceh, Aceh Singkil, Subulusalam, Southeast Aceh, Gayo Luwes, Central Aceh, Bener Meriah, North Aceh, East Aceh and Aceh Tamiang and 4 districts in the North Sumatra province, namely Langkat, Dairi, Karo, and Deli Serdang.

TNGL is the largest park in Indonesia and has been designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve and world ecosystem corridor. TNGL has a very exotic natural preservation with the diversity of living things in it and as one of the lungs of the world that plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the life support system.

KEL located in Aceh has a very important role because it is a water source for around 4 million people, as a mitigation of erosion and flood disasters, a source of germplasm, a global carbon absorber and a source of local community economy in Aceh as well as a paradise for rare animals such as rhinos, orangutans, elephants, and tigers living together in the wild.

It is undeniable that KEL also seems to be a paradise for ecosystems because it has extraordinary wealth of biological resources. KEL is also identical to a distinctive and unique landscape, located between Lake Laut Tawar in Aceh province and Lake Toba in North Sumatra province. Its land cover is dominated by highland forests that cover almost the entire KEL. The type of forest that dominates is protected forests which are found in abundance on the north side of KEL and conservation areas in the form of Gunung Leuser National Park.

However, the condition of KEL experiences a high rate of deforestation, especially in areas that have a residential function, so it has the potential to threaten its sustainability. As seen in Figure 1, in 1970-2014 the rate of deforestation was very high, the total area reached 361,833 ha. Added to that, the rate of deforestation in 2014-2017 reached 31,117 ha. This means that the total rate of deforestation since 1970-2017 reached 392,950 ha. All of this is due to the pressure of population growth, conflicts between the development of cultivated land and the preservation of natural resources, and the management of buffer zones that are not optimally handled, which are also issues that need to be addressed. For this reason, the central government and local governments continue to strive to encourage these problems to be solved both through preventive measures and by reducing forest damage.

With the issuance of Law Number 11 of 2006 concerning the Government of Aceh, as one of the laws that mandates affirmatively in the Management of KEL, the Aceh government has the authority to manage KEL in the Aceh region which is assigned by the central government to the Aceh government in the form of protection, security, preservation, restoration of area functions and sustainable use.

Meanwhile, the central government has the authority to stipulate presidential regulations as formal regulations because KEL is designated as a National Strategic Area according to Government Regulation Number 26 of 2008 concerning the National Spatial Planning Plan.

One of the efforts that has been made is by holding a workshop initiated by the Aceh Center for Research and Policy Development (P3KA) in collaboration with the Aceh government.

The workshop with the theme "Optimizing the Management of the Leuser Ecosystem Area (KEL) in Aceh in an Effort to Reduce the Rate of Forest Destruction" is expected to be a forum for coordination between the government, local governments, and the community so that they can inventory problems in KEL management as well as formulate recommendations and alternative solutions to the best solutions in KEL management.

The workshop was attended by representatives of the central government as resource persons, namely the Director of SUPD I, Directorate General of Development of Regional Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, Nyoto Suwignyo, Director General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation (KSDAE) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Wiratno, Director of Regional Planning, Directorate General of Spatial Planning, Ministry of ATR, Agus Sutanto, and Head of the Aceh Environment and Forestry Service (LHK) Saminudin.

In addition, the workshop was also attended by government elements such as the Aceh Regional Land Agency, Aceh Police, Military Command, Aceh government elements, traditional institutions, CSOs, representatives of research institutions and various other delegates.

Director of SUPD I of the Directorate General of Bina Bangda, Ministry of Home Affairs, Nyoto Suwignyo, said in his speech that there are several government affairs involved in the management of KEL, including forestry, environmental, spatial planning, and community empowerment, so that synchronization and harmonization are needed for their integration.

In relation to good governance, the central government must accelerate the preparation and stipulation of the Presidential Regulation concerning the Leuser Ecosystem KSN RTR which will be used as a guideline in the management of the Leuser ecosystem area in the Aceh region, both those that are still the authority of the center and the authority assigned by the central government to the Aceh government in the form of protection, security, preservation, restoration of area functions, and sustainable use.

"It is necessary to manage KEL as a single ecosystem through inter-regional cooperation because the locus (delineation) of KEL is in two provincial administrative areas (Aceh and North Sumatra)," said Nyoto.

The workshop also produced several conclusions that must be followed up together, both by the central government and local governments, some of which are: the central government must accelerate the preparation and stipulation of the Presidential Regulation concerning the Leuser Ecosystem KSN RTR; the central government through ministries/institutions must immediately determine norms, standards, procedures, and criteria and carry out guidance and supervision of the implementation of government affairs that are the authority of the region, especially in the management of KEL; the Aceh government must include KEL in the RTRWP during the Review and the district/city RTRW; district/city governments in KEL must prepare detailed plans equipped with PZs that are in accordance with the function of the KEL space and the zoning system that has been regulated in several central government policies; local governments need to be more selective in granting permits for the use of space in KEL, especially for oil palm cultivation; there needs to be a more effective KEL management institution to ensure the sustainability of the ecosystem and ensure the welfare of local communities; and carry out synergy between the TNGL Center and the UPTKEL whose working area is in KEL in efforts to protect the Leuser ecosystem. In addition, it is expected that the management of KEL in the future can be carried out seriously and consistently by all stakeholders, considering that the increasingly declining quality of the environment has threatened the sustainability of human life and other living things. [Source: Sub-Directorate of Land and Spatial Planning].

Sources

Hutan Aceh
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