Gemawan organized a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Community-Based Initiatives for the Prevention and Management of Forest and Land Fires (Karhutla), with a special focus on peatland areas in West Kalimantan.
The discussions, held on February 25–26, 2025, in Mempawah and Sambas Regencies, aimed to build collaboration and commitment among key stakeholders — including local governments, non-governmental organizations, village administrations, Fire Care Community Groups (MPA), and private fire brigades — to strengthen fire management efforts at the local level.
From Reactive Response to Structured Prevention
Hermawansyah, Founder of Gemawan, highlighted that forest and land fires in West Kalimantan occur almost every year, yet responses remain largely reactive.
“We need to design a more systematic and measurable approach instead of repeating short-term responses every year,” he explained.
Through its partnership with the United States Forest Service (USFS), Gemawan has been working to strengthen the capacity of village-based MPA groups as the frontline actors in community fire prevention and management.
“MPA is the village-level institution that mobilizes community members committed to preventing and handling forest and land fires. They should be at the forefront of early response and local preparedness,” Wawan said during the FGD session in Mempawah.
Findings from 14 Villages
Gemawan’s assessment, conducted across 14 villages—10 in Mempawah and 4 in Sambas—identified recurring hotspots and weaknesses in existing prevention systems.
The findings were presented in the FGD along with a set of recommendations to local governments, emphasizing the need to strengthen MPA planning capacity beyond emergency response.
“Fire incidents can be predicted. For example, BMKG forecasts that the rainy season will end in late March 2025, meaning the dry season begins in April. Before that, MPAs should have already prepared—checked their equipment, ensured water sources are accessible, and mapped critical points,” Wawan explained.
According to Gemawan’s spatial analysis, fire incidents in peatlands often occur at recurrent points each year. This data allows MPA members to plan preemptive actions such as creating water reservoirs, installing bore wells, or extending hose systems to ensure faster response during the dry season.
Collaborative Action and Policy Alignment
The FGDs served not only to share findings but also to encourage multi-stakeholder collaboration among government agencies, local communities, and NGOs.
Participants agreed that effective fire prevention requires shared responsibility—with MPAs and village governments managing on-site coordination, while district governments facilitate cross-village and inter-agency cooperation.
“Issues at the village level can be handled locally, but cross-village collaboration—like the inter-MPA coordination forum in Sambas—should be facilitated at the district level,” Wawan noted.
“Provincial authorities, NGOs, and universities also have roles in research, capacity building, and policy alignment.”
Wawan further emphasized that existing action plans for forest and land fire management at the district and provincial levels should be updated to reflect current realities and clearly define each stakeholder’s responsibility—including civil society organizations like Gemawan.
“If the ultimate goal is zero tolerance for peatland fires, then the government must also design incentive schemes for MPAs and local actors. This initiative seeks to outline those collaborative frameworks within a clear community-based roadmap,” he concluded.
Stakeholder Participation
The two FGDs were conducted under the theme:
“Collaboration and Stakeholder Roles in Community-Based Forest and Land Fire Prevention and Management.”
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In Mempawah, the discussion took place at the K-Tamb Hall, involving representatives from:
BAPPEDA, Department of Agriculture, Food Security, and Fisheries, BPBD, Manggala Agni, KPH Mempawah, village governments (Antibar, Sejegi, Sungai Bakau Besar Dasar, Galang, Sungai Rasau, Parit Banjar, Peniti Dalam 1 & 2, Peniti Besar, and Wajok Hilir), MPA units, and private fire brigades (BPAJ, PKJR, BPKS). -
In Sambas, the session was held at the BPBD Office, involving BPBD, KPH Sambas, BAPPEDA, Department of Agriculture and Food Security, Environmental and Housing Office (Perkim LH), Public Works Department (PUPR), village representatives (Merubung, Sengawang, Teluk Kaseh, and Semata), and local MPAs.
Sumber: Kalbar News