Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND IMPACT OF PALM OIL PLANTATION EXPANSION ON INLAND FISHERIES: CASE STUDY ON THE WETLANDS OF THE MIDDLE MAHAKAM AREA IN INDONESIA

Etik Sulistiowati Ningsih, Padermsak Jarayabhand and Erwiantono

Abstract

The recent development of social inclusion issues has enabled the dissemination of environmental justice to improve the livelihood of rural communities. In contrast, as a major stakeholder in wetland areas, the palm oil industry accelerates the distribution of inequality issues in inland fisheries. To balance the interest of multilevel stakeholders through successful environmental justice and natural resource management in the wetland area, this case study identified the aspects of environmental justice associated with the issues of localities and land conversion to palm oil plantations in the Middle Mahakam Area, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Several in-depth interviews were conducted in this study using a semi-structured questionnaire and participant observations. The expansion of palm oil plantations evidently contributed to the environmental impact, primarily deteriorating the water quality of the area. This phenomenon was found to have a negative influence on the income of fishers, which potentially caused conflicts among the stakeholders. Fishers themselves also contributed to destructive fishing because of the misperception of common natural resources and economic reasons. Moreover, the local government considers the palm oil industry as an income generator rather than an actor in environmental degradation. Additionally, environmental justice has generally relied on the grievances and complaints of the fishers for the management of the local environment and fisheries. Therefore, distribution, procedure, and recognition of justice significantly contributed to these interrelated issues in the Middle Mahakam Area.