Reconfiguration of Coastal Settlement Policy in Blue Economy Paradigm: Discources and Practices in Bintan Island, Indonesia

Abstract

The blue economy paradigm promotes sustainable economic growth by linking social equality, poverty reduction and marine conservation. Bintan Island, a designated Special Economic Zone (SEZ), has faced a challenge in accommodating economic growth and social equality for indigenous people living in coastal settlements. Providing settlement permits and recognition of property rights must consider the sustainability of coastal areas and spatial allocations along the coast of Bintan Island. Policy changes and policy networks in implementing coastal settlement policy become the theoretical framework in this study. Drawing on discourse analysis, key-informant interviews across scales, and secondary data in the regulations, we examine the meanings and practices of the reconfiguration of Coastal Settlement Policy in Blue Economy Paradigm. Policy networks perform in implementing coastal settlement policy to provide legalisation of assets as a form of social equity in the blue economy paradigm. The initiative of the regional head also followed the establishment of Bintan as an SEZ by strengthening the coastal settlement certification programme. However, within the framework of the policy network, the intergovernmental relationship that works in this policy needs strengthening from other networks.