Hence, the Independent Village Cares for Peatland and Independent Village Cares for Mangroves programs have become the focus of our workJakarta (ANTARA) - The National Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) has said it will continue to educate and prepare the surrounding communities living around restoration areas to overcome people’s rejection of the restoration program.
"The problem arises since the surrounding people have used the peatland for cultivation. Thus, sometimes they reject restoration activities," BRGM’s deputy for construction, operation, and preservation, Tris Raditian, said at the 'BRGM Year-End Reflection' event here on Thursday.
Thus, the agency’s attempts for blocking water canals from peatlands are often met with protests since the people use them to drain the land they intend to cultivate, he added.
The canals are also utilized as public or crop transportation routes, he noted.
Related news: BRGM plans to restore 360,000 hectares of peatland in 2022
Hence, the BRGM’s deputy for education and socialization, participation and partnership, Myrna A. Safitri, said the agency has continued to carry out socialization, education, and community development to support the restoration program.
She said she believes that peatland restoration and mangrove rehabilitation attempts cannot be separated from the community’s interests. Thus, the attempts must be related to village development, she added.
"Hence, the Independent Village Cares for Peatland and Independent Village Cares for Mangroves programs have become the focus of our work,” she remarked.
The two programs aim to prepare the community for peatland restoration by educating them on the importance of the ecosystem, strengthening village institutions, and integrating the program with the village development plan for the sustainability of the restoration and rehabilitation attempts, she informed.
Related news: BRGM exceeds 2021 mangrove rehabilitation target
During 2017–2020, 640 Caring Villages for Peatland were established, covering an area of 7.4 million hectares, she said.
Meanwhile, in 2021, the new Independent Village Cares for Peatland program has been implemented in 111 villages, she added.
Some of the villages are new, but there are also some villages that were involved in the previous Caring Village for Peatland program, she said.
The Independent Village Cares for Mangroves program was first introduced in 2021, she said. A total of 220 villages are involved in the program in nine provinces in BRGM's priority work areas, she added.
Related news: Fire guts Kariadi Hospital's medical recording room
Related news: Maluku: BMKG records 13 aftershocks following 7.3-magnitude quake
Translator: Prisca Violleta, Uyu Liman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
