Lebak Petai Kecik: The Hopes of the Menang Raya Village Community in South Sumatra Amid the Threat of Peatland Fires

Menang Raya Village, located in Ogan Komering Ilir Regency, South Sumatra, has a peatland landscape. The peat ecosystem in Menang Raya Village functions as a buffer for the surrounding hydrological cycle because it retains water. Peatlands generally have a structure composed of accumulated decaying, waterlogged plant debris. However, peatlands are highly susceptible to fire, especially during the dry season. When peatlands are not submerged in water, this condition causes drought. As a result, the main structure of the plant debris becomes flammable.

The community in Menang Raya Village has an area they call Lebak Petai Kecik which functions as an important source of water for the community, especially for daily needs. Lebak Petai Kecik is also a habitat for fish which are then used as a source of income for the community. For the people of Menang Raya Village, lebak petai kecik apart from having an economic function, also has a conservation function, precisely in the swamp area filled with purun plants. The purun plant is a type of shrub that grows wild in wetlands or peat swamps. This plant functions to maintain the original condition of the swamp so that its hydrological function is maintained.

Unfortunately, in 2010, Lebak Petai Kecik was included in the lebak lebung auction object as stipulated in Regional Regulation Number 18 of 2010. This made it impossible for the community to manage the lebak to maintain its function. This also included being unable to catch fish anymore, resulting in the loss of one of their sources of income. In 2024, the community of Menang Raya Village successfully reclaimed 66 hectares of Lebak Petai Kecik after being removed from the auction object through village deliberation and village regulations. This allowed the community to regain access to fishing freely as a source of income.

To optimize its management, the residents of Menang Raya Village took the initiative to form a group to protect the Lebak Petai Kecik. They formed a 10-person Forest and Land Fire (Karhutla) team to prevent recurrence of the fires. In addition to forming the team, they also initiated peatland rehabilitation and restoration by planting 2.100 seedlings of hardwood and fruit trees such as jabon, meranti, petai, mangosteen, water apple, and avocado. Another initiative they undertook was to increase the market value of their catch from the Lebak Petai Kecik. This was specifically carried out by the women's group, which expanded the production chain by processing the fish caught into smoked fish products.