Evaluation of Environmental Regulations in Reducing Natural Resource Degradation in Protected Forest Areas in South Sulawesi
Keywords:
Environmental Regulations, Natural Resource Degradation, Protected Forest Areas, Forest Governance, South SulawesiAbstract
Purpose: This research evaluates the ability of environmental regulations to prevent the degradation of natural resources in designated forests that are among the protected forests in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Although a comprehensive system of laws exists to protect these forests, the persistence of extensive environmental degradation reveals weaknesses in implementation and enforcement.
Subjects and Methods: A qualitative approach was employed, involving interviews with governmental officials, local community leaders, the National Offices of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and field officers. This was complemented by analysis of policy documents and direct field observations to capture both institutional and practical dimensions of forest governance.
Results: The study finds that environmental degradation persists due to entrenched institutional fragmentation, limited capacity within forest management units (KPH), inter-agency tensions, and poor coordination across vertical and horizontal levels of governance. Furthermore, there is a critical mismatch between state-led conservation programs and community livelihoods, worsened by limited communal planning and a lack of viable economic alternatives for forest-dependent populations.
Conclusions: The paper contributes to management literature by redefining environmental regulatory effectiveness beyond legal compliance, emphasizing institutional governance, stakeholder alignment, and strategic adaptation. It concludes that effective conservation depends on multi-stakeholder governance, institutional reform, co-management structures, and adaptive governance tools that align with the socio-ecological realities of South Sulawesi’s forests.
References
Akhbar, A., Naharuddin, N., Arianingsih, I., Misrah, M., & Akhbar, R. K. (2024). Spatial model of forest area utilization in integration of production forest functions, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Agriculture and Natural Resources, 58(1), 1-12.
Arifin, H. S., & Nakagoshi, N. (2011). Landscape ecology and urban biodiversity in tropical Indonesian cities. Landscape and ecological engineering, 7(1), 33-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-010-0145-9
Artiga-Purcell, J. A. (2021). Contesting extractivism: gold, water and power in El Salvador. University of California, Santa Cruz.
Dawson, N. M., Coolsaet, B., Sterling, E. J., Loveridge, R., Gross-Camp, N. D., Wongbusarakum, S., ... & Rosado-May, F. J. (2021). The role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation. Ecology and society, 26(3), 19. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12625-260319
DeVantier, L., Alcala, A., & Wilkinson, C. (2004). The Sulu-Sulawesi Sea: environmental and socioeconomic status, future prognosis and ameliorative policy options. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 33(1), 88-97. https://doi.org/10.1579/0044-7447-33.1.88
Gaveau, D. L., Locatelli, B., Salim, M. A., Husnayaen, Manurung, T., Descals, A., ... & Sheil, D. (2022). Slowing deforestation in Indonesia follows declining oil palm expansion and lower oil prices. PloS one, 17(3), e0266178. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266178
Gorowara, N., Yadav, S., & Kumar, V. (2024). Sustainable future: Government initiatives in the adoption of emerging sustainable technologies by startups in india. In Fostering innovation in venture capital and startup ecosystems (pp. 286-305). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
Hayes, T., & Persha, L. (2010). Nesting local forestry initiatives: Revisiting community forest management in a REDD+ world. Forest Policy and Economics, 12(8), 545-553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2010.07.003
Kimengsi, J. N., Owusu, R., Charmakar, S., Manu, G., & Giessen, L. (2023). A global systematic review of forest management institutions: towards a new research agenda. Landscape ecology, 38(2), 307-326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01577-8
Lehmann, T. (2024). Exploring institutional dynamics in a multi-level analysis in Southeast Europe. Post-Communist Economies, 36(7), 852-880. https://doi.org/10.1080/14631377.2024.2378622
Maryudi, A., Sahide, M. A. K., Daulay, M. H., Yuniati, D., Syafitri, W., Sadiyo, S., & Fisher, M. R. (2022). Holding social forestry hostage in Indonesia: Contested bureaucracy mandates and potential escape pathways. Environmental Science & Policy, 128, 142-153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2021.11.013
Modell, S. (2022). New developments in institutional research on performance measurement and management in the public sector. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 34(3), 353-369. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-04-2021-0070
Nacchiero, R., Massari, G. F., & Giannoccaro, I. (2024). Supply chain transformative capabilities and their microfoundations for circular economy transition: A qualitative study in Made in Italy sectors. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(8), 8695-8715. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3939
Nurhidayah, L., & Alam, S. (2020). The forest and its biodiversity: Assessing the adequacy of biodiversity protection laws in Indonesia. Asia Pacific Journal of Environmental Law, 23(2), 178-201. https://doi.org/10.4337/apjel.2020.02.04
Ogunkan, D. V. (2022). Achieving sustainable environmental governance in Nigeria: A review for policy consideration. Urban Governance, 2(1), 212-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ugj.2022.04.004
Ola, O., & Benjamin, E. (2019). Preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services in West African forest, watersheds, and wetlands: a review of incentives. Forests, 10(6), 479. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10060479
Reyes, M. C., Flores, J., & Fernandez, C. (2024). Community-Based Forest Management: Challenges and Opportunities in Tropical Asia. Journal of Selvicoltura Asean, 1(5), 218-228. https://doi.org/10.70177/jsa.v1i5.1668
Schroeder, H. W. (2021). Ecology of the heart: Understanding how people experience natural environments. In Natural Resource Management (pp. 13-27). Routledge.
Schweizer, D., van Kuijk, M., & Ghazoul, J. (2021). Perceptions from non-governmental actors on forest and landscape restoration, challenges and strategies for successful implementation across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Journal of Environmental Management, 286, 112251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112251
Weissbrodt, R., Caroly, S., Pisoeiro, J. M., Ravanel, L., & Bodin, X. (2024). Roles and activities of local stakeholders facing Alpine permafrost warming: a comparative exploratory analysis of three contexts and networks of actors. Climate risk management, 44, 100591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2024.100591
Wulandari, C. (2021). Identifying climate change adaptation efforts in the batutegi forest management unit, Indonesia. Forest and Society, 5(1), 48-59.
Yuliani, E. L., Moeliono, M., Labarani, A., Fisher, M. R., Tias, P. A., & Sunderland, T. (2023). Relational values of forests: Value‐conflicts between local communities and external programmes in Sulawesi. People and Nature, 5(6), 1822-1838. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10389
Zhou, Z., & Makwara, T. (2024). Challenges facing community-based tourism resuscitation at Dzimbabwe cultural tourism centre, Zimbabwe: grass-root perspectives. SN Social Sciences, 4(8), 149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-024-00952-3