Village Government In The Management Of Sicanang Mangrove Forest : A Governmental Studies Perspective On Public Transparency And Accountability

Nunti Sibuea

doi:10.63922/ijevss.v5i04.6407

Nunti Sibuea Universitas Pembinaan Masyarakat Indonesia, Medan, Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i04.6407

Keywords: village governance; transparency; public accountability; mangrove forest management; Sicanang

Abstract

This study examines village-level governance in the management of the Sicanang mangrove forest in Belawan Sicanang Sub-District, Medan Belawan District, Medan City, Indonesia, with a particular focus on the practice of public transparency and accountability. Since 2015, the local community and government have designated 178.24 hectares of the area as a Community-Based Mangrove Protection Zone (Daerah Perlindungan Mangrove Berbasis Masyarakat/DPM-BM). However, recent reports indicate deteriorating physical conditions, damaged public facilities, and reduced institutional oversight since 2020, raising questions about the effectiveness of governance arrangements at the village and sub-district level. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach, collecting data through observation, in-depth interviews with local government officials and community mangrove management groups, and documentation study, which were then analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that transparency practices remain informal and are not institutionalized through a standardized public reporting or information-disclosure system, while accountability mechanisms—both vertical, to the provincial forestry agency, and horizontal, to the surrounding community—are weakly enforced. Overlapping authority among the sub-district (kelurahan) government, city agencies, and the provincial forestry service, combined with limited resources and low community environmental literacy, further constrains effective governance. The study concludes that strengthening formal transparency instruments, clarifying institutional coordination, and building periodic public accountability forums are essential to sustaining community-based mangrove governance in Sicanang.

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