"We Know This Land”: Redrawing the Map through Community Led Mapping and Land Rights in Riau and Aceh

Authors: Rahmad Supriyanto and Maria Dominika

In a small village in Kampar, Riau, a group of elders and youngsters gather under a tree. They are not just chatting; they are deciding where the village ends and the forest begins. For generations, Ninik Mamak, customary leaders, have played this role by using stories, rivers, and old footpaths to define land and solve disputes. Now, they are doing something new: drawing those boundaries on a map.

For generations, Ninik Mamak, customary leaders, have played this role by using stories, rivers, and old footpaths to define land and solve disputes.

This is part of a growing movement in Riau known as Participatory Land Use Planning, or PLUP. It is not about experts coming in with fancy software and satellites or drones from above. It is about villagers, young and old coming together with local leaders to map what they already know, and to ensure their voices are heard in the decisions that shape their land and livelihood—in other words, their future. 

In Kampar, some villages have had a head start. They have been working with NGOs in recent years, learning how to document their land and negotiate with government planners. Thanks to PLUP, these communities are now one step closer to having a definitive village map. Such maps can help secure their rights, attract support, provide livelihoods, and protect against outside claims.

However, not all villages are there yet. In places like Sungai Sariak that have not applied PLUP, overlapping claims and a high number of customary leaders with land-use authority contribute to a more complex land management situation. Without a clear map, land disputes are common, and villagers have few legal protections if companies or outsiders come in.

What is clear from our visits to the Kampar and Indragiri Hulu districts in Riau is that PLUP works best when rooted in the community. It respects local wisdom, but it also helps villages to connect with the bigger picture: regional spatial plans, forest zoning, development planning, and land laws. In Kampar, we saw how community groups—farmer groups, village heads, and government officials—can sit together and start talking about the same land…on the same map.

Focus group discussion with farmer groups in Indragiri Hulu (Photo by author)

There is still a long road ahead. Only around 20% of villages in Riau have clear boundaries today. Many lack the internet connection, capabilities, legal tools, or even basic funding to keep this work going. But the spirit is strong.

"We do not just want to be on the map. We want our map to be recognized, and we can maximize its potential for sustainable livelihood while preserving existing forests and ecosystems.”

As one village head told us, “We do not just want to be on the map. We want our map to be recognized, and we can maximize its potential for sustainable livelihood while preserving existing forests and ecosystems.” That is what PLUP, at its heart, is really about: making sure the people who live on the land get to shape its future with their hands, their history, their ecosystems, and their hope.

What We Learned from Our Aceh Field Visit 

Aceh is home to the Leuser Ecosystem Area (Kawasan Ekosistem Leuser or KEL), a natural sanctuary for four of the world’s most endangered species—the Sumatran orangutan, rhinoceros, tiger, and elephant, which is central to this conservation effort. However, KEL is currently in limbo with respect to conflicted authority between national and provincial stakeholders regarding its status as a National Strategic Area (Kawasan Strategis Nasional or KSN). 

The unique blend of cultural and religious values in Aceh was evident throughout our field visits. Though geographically close to Riau, the differences in Aceh were striking. This was particularly true with regard to how customary communities shape their day-to-day lives. 

In Subulussalam City and Aceh Singkil District, social dynamics are particularly influenced by their proximity to the neighboring region. It’s quite common to meet Bataknese, the native residents of North Sumatra, in these districts. Transmigration that has been ongoing since the New Order era added Javanese families to the mix, further developing the ethnic mosaic alongside the Acehnese. This diversity also reflects a layered history of land claims and tenure systems, including among ex-transmigrant communities.

Aceh’s distinctiveness is further illustrated by its adherence to Qanun—local regulations unique to Aceh that integrate Islamic values into governance. This legal framework shapes everything from social norms to land administration, distinguishing Aceh as a province with a strong sense of identity. 

Despite its rich cultural heritage, Aceh faces deep-rooted challenges in protecting its landscapes and biodiversity. Rural livelihoods in Subulussalam and Aceh Singkil depend heavily on palm oil and smallholder farming, yet access to capital, technology, and basic agricultural inputs remains restricted.

Aceh has long practiced community-led spatial governance. A prime example that we found during our field visit is the Mukim. They are traditional leaders who once mediated land disputes and regulated logging to ensure sustainability. These roles existed long before Indonesia’s independence and serve as a testament to Aceh’s longstanding community-led approaches to land management.

Today, initiatives like PLUP are helping local communities to revive this legacy. As seen in Riau, PLUP hopes to assist villagers with mapping out their land, resolving tenurial disputes, and establishing map boundaries which may, eventually, be formalized by district or mayoral regulations (Perbup or Perwal). This process will not be easy, but it is necessary to empower communities to manage their land sustainably. 

Located adjacent to forest areas, Aceh’s forest cover has already declined by 16% in the last two decades. Natural disasters, particularly floods, have become more frequent. Without clear land use and spatial regulations that are sensitive to the community’s needs, loss of forest cover and natural disasters may continue to threaten livelihoods in the area. 

The lack of Detailed Spatial Plans (Rencana Detil Tata Ruang or RDTR) in many areas has further complicated the issue, making it difficult to issue permits, control land use changes, or protect vulnerable ecosystems. 

Despite the grim circumstances surrounding forest cover loss in Aceh, we found some encouraging local-led initiatives. For example, Namo Buaya and Singgersing villages in Subulussalam district have demonstrated what’s possible when communities take the lead. Through PLUP, they have initiated the restoration of customary forests (hutan adat) and empowered sustainable land management practices.

While national regulatory frameworks are in place, practical on-the-ground implementation remains a challenge. This is where PLUP comes in. It may offer a practical and inclusive path forward that prioritizes local voices and aligns conservation with livelihoods.

For Aceh, protecting its forests and environment is not just about protecting the land, but also about preserving its identity, culture, and future.

A farmer in Singkil, Aceh, making his way out with a traditional boat (Photo by author)

PLUP is more than just a mapping exercise; it’s about communities shaping their livelihoods with their own hands and voices. In Riau and Aceh, it is helping to bridge local wisdom with the bureaucracy of land use planning. But most villages still lack formal borders, and top-down processes often miss what matters on the ground. 

While spatial planning forums like Forum Penataan Ruang (FPR) exist, stronger bottom-up input is urgently needed. Any win-win solution must blend participatory approaches with technocratic support by combining local knowledge, legal tools, and planning expertise. PLUP shows that when the interests of communities, corporations, and governments are balanced, land governance can support both sustainable livelihoods and environmental protection. PLUP offers a pathway where local voices are no longer the last to be heard, but the first to shape the future. 

Acknowledgements 

We sincerely thank Yayasan Hutan Tropis (Earthworm Foundation) and the Swisscontact team for their generous support during our field visits in Aceh and Riau. Their assistance, from connecting us with local communities to sharing valuable insights, was instrumental in deepening our understanding and shaping the outcomes of this research. We’re truly grateful for their collaboration and commitment to inclusive land governance in Indonesia.