Role of actors in promoting sustainable peatland management in Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract Sustainable peatland management needs collaboration among many actors. This study portrayed the role of actors in managing peatland in Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan, based on their interests and influence factors. We employ the purposive sampling method to select 13 actors to represent their institutions to assess their organization’s level of interest and influence in peatland management. The results indicated four existing groups categorized as key players, context setter, subject, and crowd. The key player group has the primary role in program planning and implementation of the Forest Management Unit of Kubu Raya, Wetland Ecosystem Management Unit, Regional Development Planning Agency, and Agriculture Service of Kubu Raya Regency. The subject group supports peatland management programs in the implementation and supervision role, which consists of forest concessionaire (PT Ekosistem Khatulistiwa Lestari) and communities. The context setter group has roles in regional planning, regional supervision, and monitoring of fire hazards, including Production Forest Management Institute in Pontianak, Fire Brigade, and Regional Forest Area Designation Agency III in Pontianak. The last stakeholder is the extension worker categorized in the crowd group, which empowers and assists the community in managing peatland. Avoiding conflicts of interest and promoting collaborative actions are essential factors needed to ensure sustainable peatland management.