Strengthening the Spatial Quality of Fishpond towards Disaster Mitigation on the Urban Riparians of Meureudu River, Indonesia

Abstract

Meureudu City center, which is located on the riverfronts of Meureudu River, Pidie Jaya Regency continues experienced rapid urban development caused dramatic changes in the land use. Developments that occur in this area must be controlled strictly, given often conflicting management and use of land, especially between cultivation activities for the economic improvement of local community and interests of the environmental protection. Conflicting interests in land use in urban area, especially for fishpond cultivation as productive land for the local community, which partly utilizes river borders, riparian corridors, and green open spaces which in the RDTR (Detailed Spatial Planning) of Meureudu District are buffer areas that need to remanage. The knowledge about the potential fishpond is important to ensure the ecological stability of the area in terms of restoration of riparian corridors. Implementing sustainable management of the fishpond land layout is a must, because this area is vulnerable to flash floods, tsunamis, and strong winds. This study aims to examine the development of sustainable fishpond land management and be able to play a role in local disaster mitigation. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach method. Management strategy analysis was carried out using the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) method. The results of the research are; strategies to improve the spatial quality of fishponds that are multifunctional, in addition to having sustainable productive functions and are also capable of disaster mitigation.