Overview

Original Research

FROM SIMBOER TJAHAJA TO THE REGIONAL POLICE EDICT: DOES IT MITIGATE THE RISK OF FOREST AND LAND FIRES IN SOUTH SUMATRA PROVINCE, INDONESIA?

EFENDI AGUS WALUYO 1, DJUARA P. LUBIS 2, DWI SADONO 3, and BAMBANG HERO SAHARJO 4.

Vol 18, No 11 ( 2023 )   |  DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10245722   |   Author Affiliation: Doctoral Student in Communication for Rural and Agricultural Development, Department of Communication Science and Community Development, Faculty of Human Ecology, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia 1; Associate Professor, Department of Communication Science and Community Development, Faculty of Human Ecology, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia 2; Associate Professor, Department of Communication Science and Community Development, Faculty of Human Ecology, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia 3; Professor, Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia 4.   |   Licensing: CC 4.0   |   Pg no: 1210-1222   |   Published on: 25-11-2023

Abstract

Uncontrolled forest and land fires (FLFs) in Indonesia pose significant economic, health, conservation, and climate change risks. FLFs’ control should be in place prior to the occurrence of an incident in order to minimize occurrences and mitigate impacts. The current research seeks to describe how regulations prohibiting forest burning have evolved over time and whether they are effective in reducing the risk of forest and land fires. The research findings indicate that current legal policies related to forest and land fires, as outlined in Regional Police Edict, are less effective in controlling such fires compared to the Simboer Tjahaya Law, which was highly institutionalized in its time. The internalization of local wisdom and local knowledge in policy formulation is crucial to ensuring that the policies can be implemented at the grassroots level. This way, the policies can become institutionalized at the grassroots level.

Keywords

Fire Control, Legal Policy, Local Knowledge.