Representatives of village officials take part in the discussion session during the Public Consultation II event to review the West Kotawaringin District's spatial plan. Photo: USAID SEGAR

West Kotawaringin- To facilitate the participatory spatial planning (Rencana Tata Ruang Wilayah– RTRW) revision process, the West Kotawaringin District Government, with the support of USAID Sustainable Environmental Governance Across Regions (SEGAR), held a series of "Public Consultation II at the District Level in the Context of Reviewing the RTRW of West Kotawaringin District" from October 10-19, 2022. This followed the first public consultation in September 2022. The second series of public consultations took place in six subdistricts in West Kotawaringin District to address community needs and enhance synergy between stakeholders in addressing critical issues related to governance, space and land management, and natural resource management. The six subdistricts are Arut Utara, Kotawaringin Lama, Arut Selatan, Pangkalan Banteng, Kumai, and Pangkalan Lada.

Overall, this public consultation event involved 540 participants, consisting of members of commissions A, B, C, and D of the West Kotawaringin District Legislative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah– DPRD), government agencies, heads of subdistricts, heads of villages along with village officials in West Kotawaringin. During this consultation event, participants and representatives from the aforementioned organizations engaged in a collaborative review of the West Kotawaringin spatial plan’s draft.

"Through this activity, we aim to highlight the strategic areas of the district based on their functional capabilities and environmental functions. Focus on spatial patterns within the RTRW is a crucial aspect of the technical material presented during the public consultation," said Rawandi, ST, MT, Head of the Spatial Planning Division of the West Kotawaringin Public Works and Public Housing (Pekerjaan Umum dan Perumahan Rakyat– PUPR) Agency.

“Maintaining a well-organized spatial pattern is crucial for sustainable development. It is essential to ensure that the environmental, social, and economic order is not compromised. Therefore, spatial patterns should be in harmony with the climate and environmental protection efforts, while also considering economic factors," added Indra Wardana, Head of Pangkalan Banteng Subdistrict who participated in this public consultation.

During this consultation, village officials' representatives also had the opportunity to discuss spatial, land, and environmental issues relevant to their village's specific circumstances. Some highlighted issues included infrastructure, territorial boundaries, land and environmental management (such as protected areas, cultivation areas, community plantation areas, and agricultural areas), and natural disaster mitigation. In addition, village representatives also delved into discussions on biodiversity in their respective areas. These sessions were designed to enhance and prioritize sustainable governance in development planning.

To bring the series of events to a close, a follow-up RTRW consultation was held with the West Kotawaringin District Legislative Council on November 10, 2022. As a result, an agreement was reached to use the results of the public consultation as a foundation for reviewing Regional Regulation (Perda) No. 1 of 2018 concerning the RTRW of West Kotawaringin District and revising it in 2023.

It is hoped that the revision of the RTRW Regional Regulation will allow for a more targeted approach to strategic development, consider the community's needs at the local level, and bolster the West Kotawaringin government's efforts to manage land and natural resources sustainably.

“The West Kotawaringin District Government would like to thank USAID SEGAR, Bappenas, and the West Kotawaringin DPRD for their contributions so that the review and revision of the West Kotawaringin District spatial plan can go well. Furthermore, the West Kotawaringin District Government is eager to collaborate with any stakeholders who wish to support West Kotawaringin's pursuit of sustainable development," concluded the Head of the Regional Development Planning Agency of West Kotawaringin District, Juni Gultom, ST, MT. (*)