KANALKALIMANTAN.COM, AMUNTAI – Kalimantan South (South Kalimantan) is not only known for its tropical rainforests and towering hills. But it is also known for its vast expanses of peat and its many rivers.
With 1,864 villages spread across 11 districts and 2 cities, South Kalimantan is one of the regions with high village diversity.
But, of the many villages that exist, did you know that there is a unique village in South Kalimantan that is located on a swamp?
Located in Paminggir District, Hulu Sungai Utara (HSU) Regency, the village is Bararawa, where all the settlements are floating on water, thus making its name "swamp" in harmony.
Covering an area of 4,840 hectares, with most of it being shallow peat and with depths ranging from 0 to 2 meters, the environment of Bararawa Village is unique and rich in natural resources.
To reach Bararawa Village, the land journey from the center of Amuntai City can be reached as far as 40 kilometers to Panggang Lake Pier. Meanwhile, if the journey starts from the capital of South Kalimantan, Banjarbaru, the distance is estimated to be around 160 kilometers towards the river upstream.
From the pier, the journey to Bararawa Village takes about an hour using a motorized boat or klotok along the Paminggir River. The fare is around Rp20 thousand, with a boat capacity of around 45 people and their belongings.
Along the way, our eyes will be presented with a vast expanse of swamp stretching as far as the eye can see. There are local fishermen who are seen busy catching fish using traditional tools in the form of nets or traps.
Because the residents of Bararawa Village are also known as swamp buffalo breeders. Along the river journey we can see how the buffaloes are released into the wild every day to find food independently.
"Almost 90 percent of the residents here are fishermen and buffalo breeders. The rest work outside the village," said Basrun, a resident of Bararawa Village.
This animal with the Latin name Bubalus Bubalis Carabanesis has an extraordinary ability to swim in the waters and can hold its breath for several minutes. Swamp buffalo forage for grass all day and automatically return to the pen when the sun begins to set.
Being a source of economy for the community. The price of this mammal is estimated to reach Rp17 million to Rp25 million or more, depending on its age and weight.
Seeing this potential, it seems that the local government has supported the development of villages on the border of Central Kalimantan Province as tourist destinations based on local wisdom.
One of the seriousness that has been prepared is to build a podium facility or a kind of swamp buffalo racing attraction, which is believed to be able to attract domestic and foreign tourists.
Later, in addition to being able to watch the buffalo race live, tourists are expected to be able to enjoy the natural beauty of the swamp which is often referred to as the "endless ocean".
Involving Tourism Awareness Groups (Pokdarwis) to manage tourist attractions sustainably. Various new business opportunities such as local culinary specialties and purun woven souvenirs also pave the way for improving the welfare of residents.
But, behind all that potential, Bararawa Village is also not free from its challenges. Although high-power electricity is available. However, the communication network if we go to this place is still an obstacle. Because, the 4G network is only available for certain providers.
In addition, there is also access to education which only has one Elementary School (SD) and Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs), students who want to continue to high school must travel far to neighboring villages using motorized boats.
Not to mention in the health sector, currently residents only rely on mobile medical personnel to get basic health services. The absence of permanent health facilities makes it difficult for people to get adequate medical care, especially in emergency situations.
With these challenges, the people of Bararawa Village continue to struggle to survive amidst limited access and difficult geographical conditions of swamp waters. In the midst of tourism development that supports their lives, various limitations become other challenges that they must face in their daily lives. (Kanalkalimantan.com/rizki)
Note: The series of reports entitled “Kampung di Atas Air: Menyurisu Rawa, Menuju Bararawa” is supported by the TIFA Foundation program for the Management of Indonesian Social Forestry AP2SI through AP2SI South Kalimantan.
Reporter: fortune
Editor: rdy
News Source: https://www.kanalkalimantan.com/kampung-di-atas-air-menyusuri-rawa-menuju-desa-bararawa/
