Legalization of Land and Peatland Policy in Riau

Abstract

There is a conflict between the policy of new license termination in forest and peat areas with the legalization of land due to the interpretation of Presidential Instruction which is considered unsuitable. The policy obstructs the legalization of community land, which should be a priority for mapping and registration. For these conditions, this study is conducted to determine the overlap of regulations related to the one arranging the legalization of land, peatlands, and the Indicative Map of New License Termination (Peta Indikatif Penghentian Pemberian Izin Baru-PIPPIB). Specifically, the study examines the practices of land possession, ownership, use, and utilization policies in Air Hitam Village against spatial planning and Indicative Map of New License Termination policies. This research uses a qualitative method with a normative and spatial juridical approach. The results of the study found that there is an overlap of regulations in their implementation. The spatial analysis results showed that the area affected was about 66% of the area of the Air Hitam Village, and also not contained in the RTRW for Riau Province in 2018. While in Pekanbaru City, the RTRW in 2020 only contained peat-protected areas that were unsuitable. In conclusion, the PIPPIB policy obstructs the legalization of community land and causes economic losses and the absence of legal certainty of land rights for some communities in Air Hitam.