IKN development is asked to pay attention to local wisdom regarding the environment

Residents in the IKN area have local wisdom regarding the environment. The government must pay attention to local wisdom.

KOMPAS/SUCIPTO

A tour guide is paddling a boat at the mangrove forest tourism dock in Mentawir Village, Sepaku District, Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, on Sunday (September 18, 2022).

BALIKPAPAN, KOMPAS — The development of the capital city of the archipelago must pay attention to the local wisdom of local communities. This is because residents in areas designated as IKN have local wisdom to maintain the environmental conditions in which they live.

Local wisdom for protecting the environment, among others, is owned by the community in Mentawir Village, Sepaku District, North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan. The sub-district, which is an old village on the coast of Balikpapan Bay, is around 40 kilometers from Zero Point, the Indonesian Capital City (IKN).

In the presentation by the Ministry of Public Works and People's Housing, the Mentawir sub-district is included in the 4th IKN Development Zone. The area is projected to become a tourist and entertainment destination.

The local wisdom of the Mentawir people was revealed based on research conducted by the research team of the Research Center for Environmental, Maritime and Sustainable Culture, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) chaired by I Made Geria. In early May 2024, the team conducted field research in Mentawir Village.

KOMPAS/SUCIPTO

Visitors are standing on a bridge surrounded by mangrove trees at the mangrove forest tourism site in the Mentawir Village, Sepaku District, Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, on Sunday (18/9/2022).

"There is a concept of lati tuo in the Paser community in Mentawir. "It means thicket or old forest," said I Made Geria when contacted from Balikpapan, Monday (6/5/2024).

In the past, Made said, the Paser people in Mentawir made good use of the lati tuo or old forest. For example, when residents want to use forest wood, this needs to be discussed to avoid uncontrolled logging.

Although at present Mentawir is inhabited by various ethnic groups, Made said that local wisdom to preserve the environment still exists and transforms into new things. One example is how residents take care of mangroves by turning it into a tourist destination.

Also read: Lamale, Redemption in the Mangrove Forest

In the current context, this attitude towards lati tuo means protecting nature as the environment's supporting capacity against disasters. The existence of standing trees in the forest, for example, is important to protect Mentawir Village from landslides.

In addition, the preservation of mangroves and the restoration of previously damaged mangroves are forms of adaptation by the community to cope with tidal changes in seawater. Bamboo plants scattered in many areas also help to protect riverbanks from degradation.

KOMPAS/SUCIPTO

A researcher from the Environmental Archaeology, Maritime, and Sustainable Cultural Research Center of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), I Made Geria, was interviewed in Balikpapan on Friday (6/4/2021).

Made stated that research in Mentawir will be conducted continuously. In addition to being published, the research results will be used as policy recommendations to the government, especially regarding disaster-resistant infrastructure development. He hopes that local wisdom values can become the foundation for IKN development policies in the region.

Moreover, Made mentioned that since the 1970s, a number of areas upstream of Mentawir have been opened by several mining companies and other industries. This has caused a decline in environmental quality. As a result, the river water which is used by the residents has now become turbid.

Threat of environmental damage

Chairman of the Paser Mentawir Traditional Institution Sahnan (55) said that in the past the lati tuo was maintained to maintain the quality of the Mentawir River which passes through residential areas. However, now residents are having difficulty getting clean water because the Mentawir River water is murky.

"In the past, it was called Sungai Mentawar. It means a river that heals illness. If a resident has itchy skin, for example, they will recover by bathing in it. The water is clean," said Sahnan.

Also read: Near IKN, Mentawir Residents Will Turn River Water into Drinking Water

AIRNAV INDONESIA

The water pump is used to extract water from the river to be distilled into drinking water in Mentawir Village, Sepaku District, Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, on Friday (17/11/2023).

The decrease in river water quality, according to Sahnan, occurred due to several developments carried out around the river's headwaters. In addition, mining activities since the 2000s in the river's headwaters have also caused the river to experience siltation.

"The impact for us is that the water becomes polluted. "If it rains heavily, the color is like chocolate milk," he said.

Also read: Also read: Mission to Green IKN through Mentawir Nursery

Sahnan added that local people also know lati burok or new thickets. Lati burok is an area of ​​shifting cultivation which in the past was used by residents to grow mountain rice and fruit.

However, since 2017, there have been no more residents practicing shifting cultivation. This is because several companies there have banned residents from clearing land by burning it.

Today, the fields are scrubby. However, residents still use it because there are still a number of fruit trees growing.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Morning atmosphere in the Archipelago Capital development area, Sepaku District, North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan Province, Monday (1/1/2024).

Until now, Sahnan admitted that he has never received any socialization from the government regarding the development of IKN in his village. He hopes that the development carried out in his area will consider the local wisdom about the forest that exists in the community.

According to him, lati tuoor old forests in Mentawir have potential that residents can exploit. Apart from maintaining environmental conditions, the forest also has the potential to be used for tourism and its natural products are harvested.

In the past, its name was Sungai Mentawar, meaning the river of healing. If locals had skin irritation, for example, they could be cured by bathing in it. The water was clean.

Therefore, Sahnan hopes that lati tuo will not be opened for development. Apart from that, he hopes that citizens will be involved in policy making. The government is also expected to make regulations based on local wisdom in the use of lati tuo in Mentawir.

"We also hope that there will be a solution regarding residents' water needs," he said.

KOMPAS/SUCIPTO

View of the mangrove forest tourist attraction in Mentawir Village, Sepaku District, North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan, Sunday (18/9/2022).

Deputy for Environment and Natural Resources of the IKN Authority, Myrna Asnawati Safitri, stated that the government is committed to paying attention to the local knowledge of the IKN community in making policies.

Therefore, IKN Authority has prepared legal framework related to recognition, protection, and promotion of local wisdom in the areas designated by the government as IKN. The legal framework comes in the form of IKN Authority Chief Regulation.

"Currently there is a harmonization process at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights," said Myrna.