Meunasah Buloh – gampong in Kaway XVI district, Kabupaten Aceh Barat
Meunasah Buloh is a small gampong (village-level administrative unit) in Aceh province, Indonesia, located in the northwestern corner of the island of Sumatra. Administratively, it belongs to Kaway XVI kecamatan (district), which forms part of Kabupaten Aceh Barat (West Aceh regency). Based on its coordinates (4.2204979°N, 96.1540241°E), the settlement is situated in the inland zone of Kaway XVI district, at a considerable distance from the province's capital, Banda Aceh, in a southwesterly direction. Meunasah Buloh is one of the gampongs of Kaway XVI kecamatan in Kabupaten Aceh Barat, Aceh province. The regency as a whole is located on the western coast of the province, bordered to the north by the Bukit Barisan mountain range and to the south by the Indian Ocean.
General overview
Meunasah Buloh is one of the smaller gampongs within the broader Kaway XVI kecamatan. According to 2016 data, the gampong had 236 male and 220 female residents, with a sex ratio of 107. This represents a total community of approximately 456 people, which corresponds to a characteristically small rural population. Meunasah Buloh belongs to the Mukim Peureumeue administrative unit within Kaway XVI district, alongside neighboring gampongs such as Alue Tampak, Beureugang, Kampong Mesjid, Keude Aron, Marek, Meunasah Ara, Meunasah Rayeuk, Padang Mancang, Pasi Jambu, Pasi Teungoh, Peunia, Simpang, and Tumpok Ladang. Kaway XVI district is one of the largest gampong-containing kecamatan in Kabupaten Aceh Barat: Kaway XVI kecamatan is considered the district with the most gampongs in Aceh Barat, comprising a total of 44 gampongs. At the regency level, the vast majority of the population belongs to the Acehnese ethnic group, though a Minangkabau-origin population group is also present: according to official 2024 estimates, the regency had a population of 209,220, among whom the Acehnese predominate, though the Aneuk Jamee community, composed of Minangkabau descendants, is also found. Regarding the topography of the regency, Kabupaten Aceh Barat is characterized by hilly and partially mountainous terrain: the northern part constitutes the mountainous region that forms part of the Bukit Barisan mountain range, which is also connected to the Leuser ecosystem. Within Kaway XVI district, soil conditions are distinctive: the soil in the Kaway XVI kecamatan area is characteristically podzolic red-yellow soil deeper than 60 cm, in some areas exceeding a depth of 90 cm. From an economic perspective, at the regency level palm oil production is a prominent sector: the regency is considered a palm oil-producing area. With regard to hydrocarbon minerals, coal deposits were identified in research conducted in Kaway XVI kecamatan.
Real estate and investment
At the gampong level, Meunasah Buloh has no independent, publicly available real estate market data. The following observations therefore apply to the broader Kabupaten Aceh Barat and Aceh province levels and should be interpreted as contextual. Aceh province's real estate market is modest in size, with the majority of transactions concentrated in the province's main urban centers, particularly Banda Aceh and Meulaboh. The median selling price of Acehnese properties is approximately 137,216 USD, with a median price per square meter of roughly 1,317 USD. For Kabupaten Aceh Barat, regency-level list prices move in the lower range of this average; at the Kaway XVI kecamatan level, and especially in a small gampong like Meunasah Buloh, property prices are expected to be considerably more modest and reflect the local market, which is predominantly agricultural in character. The legal framework for property acquisition in Indonesia is determined by the 1960 Agrarian Law (UUPA) and subsequent legislation: foreign nationals cannot acquire full ownership rights (Hak Milik); for them, primarily the forms of Hak Pakai (right of use) or Hak Sewa (right of lease) are available. Aceh province's special autonomous status (Daerah Istimewa) may carry additional local regulatory particularities, so consultation with a local legal advisor is advisable before any property purchase. Given the regency's characteristic economic profile – palm oil production, forestry, small-scale agriculture – agricultural lands and simple residential properties constitute the backbone of the market in Kaway XVI district, and thus in the Meunasah Buloh area; no reliable, publicly available source exists regarding the presence of development projects undertaken for investment purposes.
Safety and security
Public safety statistics for Meunasah Buloh gampong are not found in publicly accessible sources. In the following, the broader context of the regency and province is presented. Aceh province holds special autonomous status within Indonesian administration, and its own regulatory system – within the framework of local qanun legislation – has an impact on daily life. With regard to natural hazards in the region, Kabupaten Aceh Barat is located between two tectonic fault lines, near the collision zone of the Eurasian and Australian plates, which makes the area susceptible to tsunami risk. Concerning the 2004 catastrophe, the regency was among the areas most severely affected by the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Regarding public safety, Aceh province is generally stable, though standard Indonesian precautionary measures – safeguarding valuables, familiarizing oneself with local customs and rules – constitute valid guidance applicable also in Kaway XVI district. In smaller, rural communities such as Meunasah Buloh, the closed nature of community life and mutual social control typically have a favorable effect on public safety, though numerical data on this cannot be provided due to lack of sources.
Tourist attractions
Meunasah Buloh gampong has no independent tourist attraction recorded in publicly available sources. However, at the level of the broader Kaway XVI district and Kabupaten Aceh Barat, several verifiable attractions are known, which form the wider sphere of influence of the gampong. Within Kaway XVI district itself, a notable natural attraction is the lake known as Genang Gedong: Genang Gedong is located in the village of Gampong Putim in Kaway XVI kecamatan, and is a lake covering approximately 7 hectares spanning roughly 3 villages. The lake is situated approximately 20 kilometers from Meulaboh city center. Near Meulaboh, the regency's seat, numerous well-known coastal and natural destinations are found. Pantai Batee Puteeh, lying only about 3 kilometers from Meulaboh city center, is one of the nearest coastal destinations to the regency capital. Pantai Lhok Geudong is likewise a well-known destination, located in Meulaboh Kecamatan Johan Pahlawan district, near Desa Suak Ribee, and is one of the most visited beaches in the area. From the perspective of natural heritage, Hutan Mangrove Lhok Meureubo is notable: the Lhok Meureubo mangrove forest is considered one of Aceh Barat's ecologically important mangrove ecosystems, serving as habitat for numerous animal species and playing an important role in maintaining the balance of the marine ecosystem. Masjid Agung Baitul Makmur, located in Meulaboh city, is the most significant mosque in the regency: Masjid Agung Meulaboh is an emblematic religious and architectural monument of Kabupaten Aceh Barat, situated along Jalan Imam Bonjol in Meulaboh city. It should be noted that these attractions are connected to Meulaboh city, which is accessible to Meunasah Buloh from within the regency by road.
Summary
Meunasah Buloh is a small-population gampong in Kaway XVI kecamatan of Kabupaten Aceh Barat, Aceh province, on the island of Sumatra. The community, numbering approximately 456 people according to 2016 data and predominantly agricultural in character, belongs to Mukim Peureumeu unit as one of the 44 gampongs in Kaway XVI district. At the regency level, palm oil production and natural resources play a determining role, while the broader region's tourist appeal is primarily connected to the regency's seat, Meulaboh, and its immediate coastal and natural environment. From the perspective of real estate market and investment, no independent gampong-specific data is available; those interested should take into account the general market and legal frameworks of the regency and province.
