Undang-undang pengurusan tanah dan perancangan pembangunan di sekitar sungai-sungai di Daerah Langkat Sumatera Utara

Activities of development surrounding river areas which are not effectively planned will negatively affect the environment and will cause an imbalance in nature. This is in view of the fact that rivers are important natural elements to the human race. Incidents of pollution, erosion and other damage surrounding river areas continue to occur in areas of unsupervised development projects. The objectives of this study are to examine the laws pertaining to land and development planning in the surrounding rivers in the Langkat District, the problems arising from land management and development planning in these areas and to recommend improvements in existing laws governing land management in the Langkat District. The location of the study covers the Daerah Aliran Sungai (DAS) which included the Wampu River Watershed, Bahorok River, Binjai River, Gegumit River, Batang Serangan River, and Tanjung Pura River. This study applies triangulation methods using questionnaires, interviews and observation. The respondents of this study are the Land Office officials, Regional Developments Planning Board members, Environment Agency, the communities and entrepreneurs living at the surrounding
river areas. The findings of this study indicate that problems of land management
continue to occur because there is no special institution to govern river management. Land management problems also continue to exist due to the non-existence of holistic and strategic development planning surrounding the river areas at Langkat District. Consequently, many disasters occurred in the surrounding river of Langkat such as floods, erosions and landslides during rainy season and droughts during dry season because of the lack of effective land management and planning. The study found that, the land surrounding river areas is only managed during times of conflicts and disasters. It is also found that there must be a clear and comprehensive state (provincial) law to administer land management surrounding river areas to overcome those existing problems.