PERCEPATAN REHABILITASI DAN REVITALISASI KAWASAN PENGEMBANGAN LAHAN GAMBUT DI KALIMANTAN TENGAH

The biggest challenge faced by the Central Kalimantan Province in realizing a sustainable peatlands management is the abandoned earlier program called A-Million-Hectare Peatlands Development that has left behind several complications, namely: peatlands conversion, forest and land fires, drainage, illegal logging and the worsening condition of local inhabitants and transmigrants. Several efforts have been implemented, but the efforts were insufficient to solve the ecological, social, economic and political problems at the peatlands development area. On March 16th 2007, the Presidential Decree Number 2, 2007 on Acceleration of the Rehabilitation and Revitalization of Peatlands Development Area was issued in Central Kalimantan. On every stage of its execution, the Acceleration of the Rehabilitation and Revitalization of Peatlands Development Area Program in Central Kalimantan yielded outputs. From 2007 until 2011, 103 activities out of 186 activities were performed, but the output yielded was far below target of achievement, for example, from the target of establishing 123,000 hectares of rice fields, they managed only to prepare an irrigation network for 6,500 hectares of rice field and to perform an investigation and design survey for 6,500 hectares of rice field preparation. This lack of achievements triggered the question: �What has become of the Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Revitalization of Peatlands Development Area Program in Central Kalimantan and what factors influence its implementation?� The methodology used in this research is descriptive qualitative with a deductive approach. The data analyzed were obtained through observation on the field, direct interviews with those who are involved with the execution of the program and documentations in the form of archives, newspaper, and others relevant information. The parameters used here were: (i) leadership of the executive officers, (ii) the policy�s objective and target, (iii) communication and coordination, (iv) executors� attitude, (v) funding, (vi) regulation and procedures, (vii) difficulties, (viii) level of interest, (ix) social capital and (x) people�s participation. The research found out that the implementation of the Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Revitalization of Peatlands Development Area Program in Central Kalimantan from 2007-2011 can be considered unsatisfactory. The factors that positively affect the implementation were, amond others, executive officers� leadership, objective and target of the policy, communication and coordination among institutions involved at provincial level, executors� attitude, social capital and people�s participation. The factors that hindered the program implementation were communication and coordination between the central and local governments, funding, difficulties, regulations and procedures. The research recommends the use of the Master Plan for the Rehabilitation and Revitalization of Peatland Development Area, which hasn�t been implemented, for the similar programs in the future. Keywords: rehabilitation, revitalization, peatlands, Central Kalimanta