Jakarta Bay reclamation policy: an analysis of political ecology

Abstract

The Jakarta Bay reclamation policy is an issue that is currently a public debate. This debate is strengthened by environmental issues, the marginalization of certain groups, the regulation of authority and also corruption in the Jakarta Bay Reclamation project. Some central and provincial government institutions take different stances on the issue. The first objective of this research is to analyse environmental policy in reclamation of Jakarta Bay with the approach of political ecology. This research uses a qualitative approach. The data were obtained from in-depth interviews with stakeholders involved in the policy making of the Jakarta Bay reclamation environment and the literature study. This study concludes that the Jakarta Bay reclamation policy creates a conflict between the central and provincial governments. This is due to the overlapping regulation of Jakarta Bay reclamation authority as well as differences in attitude and interests among stakeholders. In the approach of political ecology, the Jakarta Bay reclamation policy has failed to accommodate the three interests, are social, economic and environmental interests. The conflicts that occur also cause an omission that not only harms the economy, but worsens the social and economic impact.