Web GIS Development for Minangkabau Customary Village: A Case Study of Padang Lua Village, West Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

Minangkabau is a cultural and geographical entity embracing matrilineal kinship system. The descendant line is taken from the women’s side of a family. The customary land is inherited by women, while the men are only allowed to peruse it. Customary land may not be traded, but during an emergency may be mortgaged. In Padang Lua, as well as other villages in Minangkabau, various problems with social conflict potential have arisen due to conflicts against Minangkabau local custom which involves land and house sale. To reduce social conflict and support ‘smart village’, a Web GIS has been developed in Minangkabau villages using Free Open Source Software FOSS, i.e. PostgreSQL/PostGIS, PHP, and JavaScript. This paper reports Web GIS development. The method utilized in developing Web GIS is Research and Development. The Web GIS database is designed to follow the regulations that separate ownership of customary land and houses as well as regulations related to other landowners in Minangkabau. The Web GIS aids village heads/officers as well as prospective land and house buyers to find information on the following aspects: 1) land status, and location, and its owner; and 2) house owner and its occupants as well as land on which the house is located. The Web GIS has demonstrated its ability to reduce social conflicts related to land and house trade in Minangkabau community.