ABSTRACT
This paper discusses 78 years of Indonesian swampland development to support food production and regional economic growth. We analysed each stage of development and discussed lessons learned. We divided the development into five periods, i.e., pre-independence, 1956-1958, 1969-1995, 1995-1999, and 2000-2013 period. For each period, we see that the government’s policy determined the success of the swampland development. The development of innovative technology is one major keys for success. We elaborate the lessons learned into six aspects: water management, soil understanding, local participation, sectoral vs. integrative development, management, and indigenous knowledge. For future development, three aspects must be considered: land-soil-water characterisation, landscape and landuse design, and development approach.
