Jurnal EMPOWERMENT; Jurnal Ilmiah Program Studi Pendidikan Luar SekolahVolume 12, Nomor 1 Februari 2023p-ISSN No. 2252-4738 e-ISSN : 2580-7692 46 THE IMPACT OF TANJUNG SAKTI AGRITOURISM ON ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION IN SINDANG PANJANG VILLAGE, LAHAT REGENCY Ade Anugra Utami1, Shomedran2 1,2 Pendidikan Masyarakat, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, Sumatera Selatan, Indonesia 1 tami94521@gmail.com, 2shomed16ut@gmail.com Received: October, 2022; Accepted: February, 2023 Abstract This study aims to determine the impact of agro-tourism on environmental preservation in Sindang Panjang Village. This research uses descriptive research with a qualitative approach. Data collection used interviews, observation, and documentation methods. The subjects of this research were the manager of Agrotourism, the Sindang Panjang Village government, and the people of Sindang Panjang Village. The indicators of the research results obtained are; 1) The negative impact of agro-tourism is dependence on tourism and the seasonal nature of tourism. 2) The positive impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism is to preserve, maintain, and utilize natural resources wisely. The conclusion is that Agritourism can improve people's lives and reforest nature. Keywords: Impact, Agritourism, Environmental Preservation. Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dampak Agrowisata terhadap pelestarian lingkungan di Desa Sindang Panjang. Penelitian ini menggunakan jenis penelitian deskriptif dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Pengumpulan data menggunakan metode wawancara, observasi, dan dokumentasi. Subjek penelitian ini yaitu pengelola Agrowisata, pemerintah Desa Sindang Panjang, dan masyarakat Desa Sindang Panjang. Indikator hasil penelitian yang diperoleh adalah; 1) Dampak negatif Agrowisata yakni ketergantungan terhadap pariwisata dan sifat pariwisata yang musiman. 2) Dampak positif Agrowisata Tanjung Sakti yaitu melestarikan, menjaga, dan kemanfaatan sumber daya alam secara bijaksana. Simpulannya yaitu Agrowisata dapat meningkatkan taraf hidup masyarakat dan mereboisasi alam. Kata kunci: Dampak, Agrowisata, Pelestarian Lingkungan How to Cite: Utami, A.A. & Shomedran. (2023). The Impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on Environmental Preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency. EMPOWERMENT: Jurnal Ilmiah Program Studi Pendidikan Luar Sekolah 12 (1), 46-54. INTRODUCTION Agritourism is a tourist area based on agriculture, and focuses on visitors to get to know parts of agriculture including plants, livestock, and fisheries. Judging from the number of tourist visits today, tourists prefer tourist attractions that return to the concept of nature, therefore the impact of agritourism on environmental preservation is very possible and expands knowledge through agritourism. When tourism is well planned, it must be able to bring benefits to the destination community and other sectors, develop and become a tourist attraction in an area, with the aim of realizing the elements of tourist attraction. At the same time, agritourism environmental protection is the ability to strive to protect the environment from the pressure of change and the negative impacts brought about by activities, and to keep the environment stable. However, the condition of the environment and the earth is not getting better, as evidenced by the phenomenon of climate change (Indrastuti, 2018). Utami & Shomedran. The Impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on Environmental Preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency 47 The importance of supporting and maintaining the quality of environmental sustainability must be given in accordance with several things that must be considered in agritourism management. According to Utama & Junaedi (2018), namely: 1) Basic natural order, 2) Educational value, 3) Efforts to involve the community to participate in utilizing, and maintaining, and maintaining the facilities needed by visitors. 4) Tourists play an active role in maintaining the agritourism area. Therefore, one of the areas that still preserves its natural environment is in South Sumatra Province which has 17 regencies / cities with each region saving tourist destinations that are featured as the uniqueness of their respective regions, one of which is Tanjung Sakti, a sub-district located on the western border of South Sumatra and the southernmost of Lahat Regency with valley to mountain topography. The residents of Tanjung Sakti are Malay people with the majority of their main livelihoods, namely mostly planting coffee and rice with a culture that has been passed down from generation to generation, so to survive they have to work hard by farming. The Mayor of Palembang for the 2018 period until now with a culture that is still held firmly to this day has the idea to establish a tourist area called "Agrotourism Tanjung Sakti" on his private land in Sindang Panjang Village. Agritourism as part of agricultural activities is highly dependent on natural resources and environmental conditions. These natural and environmental resources include resources belonging to tourism and the environment including the community. Therefore, efforts to preserve and improve natural and ecological resources determine the sustainability of the agritourism business, and the environmental conditions of the surrounding community determine tourist interest. (Utama, et al., 2015). According to the Sindang Panjang Village government, to protect the environment, it has provided landfills far from local residents' homes so that residents and visiting tourists do not smell garbage. Landfills are placed in every corner of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism. However, according to Christer, who is one of the members of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism, he said that there are still people who do not throw garbage in its place, for example into the river, making it difficult for the Agrotourism in creating nature- based tourism that is far from pollution. Therefore, with these problems, researchers are interested in researching the impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on environmental preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency. METHODS The research location was carried out in the Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism area, Sindang Panjang Village, Tanjung Sakti Pumi District. This location was chosen because the Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism area is a popular agrotourism area and one of the largest tourist areas in South Sumatra. The type of research used in this research is descriptive, with a qualitative approach. The focus of this research is to describe and observe the impact of agritourism on the preservation of the natural environment in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency. The data collection methods used are interviews, observation and documentation. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Result Negative Impact of Agritourism Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism does not yet have an organizational structure, vision and mission in building agritourism but this is planned to be made after the development process is completed which will be useful for making Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism even better. Furthermore, the negative impact of agritourism consists of dependence on agritourism and the seasonal nature of tourism, namely: Utami & Shomedran. The Impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on Environmental Preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency 48 a. Dependence on Tourism Dependence on tourism makes people dependent on tourism which makes people open business opportunities to improve their standard of living for the better, such as by opening homestays and providing culinary places. b. Seasonality of Tourism The nature of seasonal tourism is the state of tourism in an area where one of the objects of agro-tourism is planting rice or introducing tourists to get to know about agriculture, but with weather conditions that are sometimes erratic making these activities very difficult to do and also considering that planting rice again takes 3 months because farmers must first process the harvested rice before starting to plant again. Next is the activity of picking fruit or harvesting fruit will only be done when the harvest season has arrived, after the harvest season the activity has not been carried out again until waiting for the next harvest season to arrive. Figure 1. View of Rice Plants and Culinary Businesses of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism (Source : Observation document, 2022) Positive Impact of Agrotourism Agritourism is an activity that seeks to develop natural resources in an area that has potential in agriculture to develop its function as a tourist attraction (agritourism) with the aim of improving the welfare of farmers in particular and the community in the area concerned in general (Suherman, 2017). The natural resources available in Tanjung Sakti agro-tourism consist of natural waterfalls, rice, and flowing river water, policies carried out in preserving, maintaining, and utilizing natural resources wisely are grouped as follows: a. Preserving Natural Resources Preserving natural resources is realizing the importance of maintaining the authenticity, comfort, and sustainability of the environment, this is because agritourism is included in ecological tourism that utilizes nature to make tourists feel at home visiting agritourism and also make people aware of the importance of preserving natural resources. Nature tourism is a trip to natural places that are still undisturbed or polluted with the aim of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery, plants, and wildlife (Azzahra, et al., 2015). One of the natural attractions in Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism is a natural waterfall that is still maintained and has not changed its shape at all until now. Preserving the natural resources of natural waterfalls in Tanjung Sakti agro-tourism is by urging tourists and the people of Sindang Panjang Village not to litter and be able to protect the environment properly. Nature not only provides a place for humans to settle but also provides resources that can be processed to meet the needs of life or make a living (Hendriyana, 2021). One of them is Utami & Shomedran. The Impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on Environmental Preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency 49 rice, which is one of the staples for all humans for daily life. Next is to preserve river water so that it is not polluted so that the river water can be used for needs in the fields and daily needs. Figure 2. Waterfalls, Water Irrigation and Clean River Water (Source : Observation document, 2022) b. Preserve the Environment Preserve the environment of the waterfall by organizing garbage disposal sites and installing warning boards so that existing natural resources are not damaged. The sustainability of rice plants is maintained by making water irrigation so that when the dry season arrives, there will be no shortage of water and enough for better rice growth and by applying fertilizers that are not abundant so that rice growth becomes better. The river water environment is maintained by planting trees to prevent erosion on the banks of the river and periodically checking whether there are fragile branches to take immediate action so that the river water is not damaged. Figure 3. Warning boards, fertilizer application, and planting trees along the riverbank (Source: Observation document, 2022) c. Wise Utilization of Natural Resources Wise use of natural resources is the reforestation of natural forests, so that future generations can also enjoy the natural resources that exist today and are not exploited arbitrarily. The wise use of natural resources means that these natural resources are not destroyed or altered, especially in natural waterfalls, waste management is carried out in every corner of Agrotourism. Utilization of rice plants to increase diversity is done wisely without damaging nature itself, namely, making scarecrows to protect rice fields or plantations. To increase the wealth of river water wisely, care must be taken not to damage or pollute the river water itself and provide the icon of the Ampera bridge and a place to relax by the river water. Utami & Shomedran. The Impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on Environmental Preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency 50 Figure 4. Waste Disposal Sites, Rice Fields, and Relaxing Places on the Riverbank (Source: Observation document, 2022) Discussion Negative Impacts of Agritourism Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism itself is still developing into a better agricultural tourism, even so there are still many tourists who come from outside the province of South Sumatra, who come just to relax and admire the truly beautiful scenery, The negative impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism consists of : a. Dependence on Tourism Dependence on tourism, according to Lobo (2018), can be an advantage for local farmers, which can be broken down as follows: 1) Agricultural tourism offers opportunities for local farmers to increase their income and improve their standard of living, 2) it becomes a beneficial tool for farmers and local communities, 3) it reduces urbanization, 4) agricultural tourism becomes a means to promote local products, which helps regional development in marketing and creating added value. The tourism sector has a significant impact on the economic aspect because people can sell and get a large profit in tourist destinations. So that the regional treasury grows with the development of regional tourist destinations (Ainy, 2017). Developing tourist destinations increases tourism demand. Tourism demand is the desire of the community or society to participate in tourism activities and fulfill the wishes of the community with tourism services (Fadilah, 2019). Sindang Panjang Village itself has natural tourist attractions that can be used as natural tourist destinations, making Tanjung Sakti known to the wider community. The impact of tourism is able to change livelihoods from the agricultural sector to the tourism sector (Asror, 2019). That with the existence of Tanjung Sakti agro-tourism, Sindang Panjang Village will become a more advanced village and can improve the economic level of residents and agro-tourism managers. b. Seasonality Nature of Tourism Agritourism is seasonal tourism. One of them is rice planting which can only be done once every 3 months after harvest due to erratic weather. The highly variable nature of rainfall has a significant impact on agricultural production. Annual rainfall fluctuations result in crop failure or crop failure due to drought or flooding. Although the start of the rainy season is known, the nature of the rain during the growing season is still difficult to predict as it varies greatly from year to year. This causes the number of tourists to decrease due to variable weather conditions and thus cannot meet tourist demand (Chandrasa, et al., 2020). Utami & Shomedran. The Impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on Environmental Preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency 51 The seasonal nature of tourism in Sindang Panjang Village consists of the fruit harvest season and the rice planting season. The fruit harvest season can only be done when the harvest season has arrived, and rice planting can only be done when farmers are ready to continue planting rice after processing all the crops. Opportunities and prospects for agritourism can benefit farmers, namely job creation, increased income and community welfare. The purpose of agritourism is to explore economic opportunities for small farmers and rural communities to expand knowledge, experience, recreation and business relationships in the agricultural sector (Sulaiman, et al., 2017). The influence of the rice crop on the tourism season which affects rainfall causes the failure of rice planting. Weather conditions play a very important role in various fields of life. One sector that is quite dependent on weather conditions is the agricultural sector, because if the cultivated land is too dry or too wet it can cause crop failure (Faradiba, 2020). Next is fruit harvesting, because fruit can only be harvested when the season arrives, sometimes it is difficult to produce fruit trees in Tanjung Sakti which has a cold climate. Climate change causes changes in environmental conditions that affect plant growth and development less than optimal, thus affecting fruit sugar levels (Sarvina, 2019). Positive Impact of Agritourism a. Preserving Natural Resources The need to preserve the tourist environment, because it has socio-economic values such as choice and existential values. Choice value expresses the willingness of individuals to pay for environmental sustainability for future use. Although the existential value shows that people are willing to pay for environmental sustainability regardless of its use value (Mohamad, 2022). The natural resources owned by Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism are developed and managed properly, namely implementing various policies not to pollute or pollute the area where the waterfall is located. Rice crops are one of the largest farms found in Tanjung Sakti Pumi District. So that this potential provides comfort and tranquility that makes many tourists visit Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism. Nature not only provides a place for humans to settle but also provides resources that can be processed to meet life's needs (Hendriyana, 2021). The prospective potential to be developed as a tourist attraction or better known as agro-tourism provides an opportunity for farmers to improve their quality of life by utilizing the agricultural resources they have (Utama, 2015). Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism has very interesting natural resources with stunning scenery including rice plants. Conservation of natural resources of rice plants is carried out by irrigation, so that in the dry season the plants are not threatened with water shortages and remain fertile. b. Preserve the Environment Maintaining environmental sustainability can directly benefit the sustainability of the environment itself, reduce threats to biodiversity in agro-tourism objects, and provide direct and indirect benefits for stakeholders (Alfatianda, 2017). Activities that can be carried out to foster community awareness of the surrounding environment are greening activities, utilizing vacant land, and waste management. Greening is all efforts to restore, maintain, and improve land conditions so that it can produce and function optimally, regulate water systems, and protect the environment (Mardiani, 2017). In addition to reforestation, efforts are made to reduce damage due to waste management. Waste management is one of the habits that can be done to encourage an attitude of Utami & Shomedran. The Impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on Environmental Preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency 52 environmental care, namely by encouraging people to manage waste based on 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) (Arisona, 2018). Preserve the river water environment by conducting reforestation in the upstream and riverbanks of river water to prevent soil erosion due to the impact of swift river water. c. Wise Utilization of Natural Resources Utilizing natural resources wisely means not cutting down trees illegally so that the forest becomes bare and there is no life in the forest for animals. Forests play an important role not only as a regulator of the global climate, but also as a source of economic development and a source of community life (Kemen.L.H, 2016). The importance of natural benefits in reforestation, because it does not convert forested land into housing and greening (Iqbal, 2020). Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism conducts natural reforestation by planting on bare land to plant various fruits and trees and a very beautiful flower garden at Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism. The environment is also a place where living things live to meet their needs and play a more complex role in the wise use of natural resources. Natural resources are resources that can meet the needs and welfare of human life. So that existing natural resources can be utilized wisely. Utilization of the natural resources of the waterfall is done by providing garbage disposal in every corner of Agrotourism and planting trees to maintain the beauty of Agrotourism. Agritourism is an integrated and coordinated system of activities for the development of tourism as well as agriculture, in relation to environmental conservation and improving community welfare (Juniasa, 2022). Rice plants are one of the most important commodities in developing countries, the majority of Indonesia's population is highly dependent on the agricultural sector (Abidin, 2020). The benefits of natural resources of rice plants in Tanjung sakti Agrotourism itself when the harvest season is over the farmers burn the straw left over from the harvest and left for 3 days to grow straw mushrooms which are good for human consumption. In addition, straw that is not burned is used as orangan sawah for the next rice planting season, orangan sawah is useful for blocking birds that want to eat rice that will be ready for harvest later. The availability of water resources in each region is strongly influenced by weather and local hydrogeological conditions, resulting in river flows with abundant availability and areas that are very short of water. According to the law of the Republic of Indonesia concerning water resources number 17 of 2019 stipulates that water resources are water, water sources, water power contained therein. Water is found above and below ground such as rainwater, sea water, and river water which has the potential and benefits for human life and the environment. Utami & Shomedran. The Impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on Environmental Preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency 53 CONCLUSION Based on the results of research on the impact of agritourism on environmental preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency, the following conclusions can be drawn; The negative impact of Tanjung Sakti agritourism consists of dependence on tourism that can improve people's lives such as opening business opportunities and the seasonal nature of tourism consisting of rice harvesting and fruit harvesting due to erratic rainy weather so that these activities can only be carried out when the rice planting season and fruit harvesting season have arrived. Besides having a negative impact, agritourism also has a positive impact, namely: There are 3 natural resources in Tanjung Sakti agro-tourism, namely, natural waterfalls, rice plants, and river water, preserving natural resources is done by not changing or polluting these natural resources, then preserving the environment of natural resources is done by installing warning boards not to damage nature, besides that the wise use of natural resources is done by reforesting bare land, making unique icons for photo spots, and making rice fields to protect agricultural land. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I express my gratitude to Allah Subhanahuawata'allah for His blessings, grace, and guidance so that the author can complete this scientific paper with the title: "The Impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on Environmental Preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency". The writing of this scientific paper is done in order to fulfill one of the requirements to obtain a Bachelor's degree at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Sriwijaya University. I realize that without the help and guidance of various parties, it is quite difficult for me to complete this scientific paper. Therefore, on this occasion with all humility, the author expresses his sincere gratitude to : 1. Both of the author's parents who have provided various support as well as prayers and sacrifices so that the author can complete his studies to date. May you always be given health, a long life, and a life full of blessings. 2. To the author's younger siblings who always pray for and become the best friends. Hopefully we will all become brothers and sisters who can always raise the degree of both parents and can be the best role model for the family, as well as the community so that it can be useful for Religion, Society, Nation, and State. 3. Mr. Shomedran, M.Pd. as the author's supervisor who patiently guided the author to complete this scientific paper. 4. Mrs. Dian Sri Andriani, S.Pd., M.Sc., as the author's examining lecturer who always patiently provides input and directions related to this scientific paper. 5. All lecturers of Community Education, Mrs. Dr. Azizah Husin, M.Pd., Mrs. Dra. Evy Ratna Kartika Waty, M.Pd., Ph.D., Mr. Drs. Imron Hakim, M.S. and Dr. Didi Tahyudin, M.Pd. who are currently retired, Mrs. Mega Nurrizalia, M.Pd., Mrs. Yanti Karmila Nengsih, M.Pd., Mr. Ardi Saputra, S.Pd., M.Sc., Mrs. Dian Sri Andriani, S.Pd., M.Sc. and Mr. Shomedran, M.Pd. Thank you for the knowledge given to the author during college. Do not forget also to Mrs. Yuhyi Purnamasari S.Pd. as the admin of the penmas study program who really helped the author in the smooth administration of working on this scientific paper. 6. To the best friends as well as friends in arms who always support each other and remind each other of their obligations to Allah, may this friendship not only stop at the lecture bench and may this friendship always bring blessings. Utami & Shomedran. The Impact of Tanjung Sakti Agrotourism on Environmental Preservation in Sindang Panjang Village, Lahat Regency 54 7. All friends of the Class of 2018 of Community Education at Sriwijaya University who provided various memories and stories as well as support during college. 8. All parties who helped the author in completing this thesis that the author cannot mention one by one. 9. To the author himself. Thank you for struggling so far. REFERENCES Abidin, Z., & Rohana, M. (2020). Empowerment of Farmers Group in Making Organic Fertilizer Made from Household Waste. Community Development Journal, 89 - 94. Alfatianda, C. (2019). 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