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Post-extractivism in Indonesia: Is it possible?

Recent fierce resistance from civil society to offshore tin mining in Belitung and East Belitung regencies poses an intriguing question as to whether this movement can be regarded as a new beginning toward post-extractivism in Indonesia

Poppy S. Winanti (The Jakarta Post)
Yogyakarta
Thu, October 19, 2017

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Post-extractivism in Indonesia: Is it possible?

R

ecent fierce resistance from civil society to offshore tin mining in Belitung and East Belitung regencies poses an intriguing question as to whether this movement can be regarded as a new beginning toward post-extractivism in Indonesia.

For the last couple of years, civil society in Belitung has been resisting offshore tin-mining activities on account of their damaging impact not only on the environment but also their social and economic life.

Data from environmental science and conservation news and information portal Mongabay (2016) predicts that more than 20 villages in a coastal area and around 9,000 fishermen will be affected if offshore tin mining is allowed in these regions.

Unlike their neighboring district in Bangka where offshore tin-mining activities have already been massively undertaken, to date, offshore tin mining activities are still unable to operate owing to intense opposition from the local community.

It should be noted that Belitung’s experience may differ from what has been commonly understood in Indonesia that post-extractivism is closely associated with life after the end of extractivist activities.

In this regard, post-extractivism in Indonesia is mostly perceived as the situation when the resources have been depleted and the community has to overcome environmental problems caused by the extractive activities.

On the contrary, what is happening in Belitung is a conscious decision by the local community and supported by the local political leaders to reduce dependency on non-renewable resources when the resources are still abundant.

Post-extractivism, as can be seen from Belitung’s experience, is a concept that is widely popular in Latin American countries. It principally refers to a transition from economic activities that extract enormous volumes of natural resources (mining and hydrocarbons) in their raw forms for export purposes to the global markets and transforms it to more sustainable economic activities.

Nevertheless, despite its urgency, the implementation of post-extractivism has faced daunting challenges, particularly in developing countries. Life without the extractive industry has been perceived as unthinkable.

One of the primary challenges is mainly related to excessive global demand for these non-renewable industries, which cannot be easily ignored.

In responding to these constraints, environmental expert Eduardo Gudynas (2014) argues that post-extractivism does not necessarily mean the elimination of all forms of extractive projects or let alone advancing the utopia of unscathed nature.

Post-extractivism recognizes the mechanisms that allow downsizing some of these activities to reduce dependency, but at the same time are still able to maintain a level that is necessary and under acceptable operation conditions.

To be implemented, post-extractivism requires widespread and genuine social participation and strong political support to confront the challenge and strong negative reactions from various stakeholders, mainly large-scale extractivism.

The case of Belitung shows that support from local political leaders (at least at the regency levels) has contributed to prevent the operation of offshore tin mining in the regions.

In addition, post-extractivism is also impossible if there are no specific alternative economic developments.

The alternative policy to extractivism would be based on sustainable activities, which may take place in the sphere of (among others) manufacturing, agriculture and tourism. Thanks to the acclaimed popular novel that was also adapted into a film, Laskar Pelangi, Belitung experienced a tourism boost.

However, despite their strong disapproval of offshore tin mining activities, onshore tin mining activities in both Belitung and East Belitung regencies have not been completely abandoned.

Despite the abrupt withdrawal of PT Timah in Belitung in 1997, onshore mining activities mostly conducted through “unconventional” or artisanal mining are still prevalent. It has been argued that onshore tin mining is not only part of the livelihood of locals but also their culture and identity. It is unimaginable to think they can live without tin mining, despite all the undesirable environmental impacts they have to endure.

Offshore tin mining does not offer massive job opportunities as it requires more sophisticated technologies and less human resources.

Some may argue that the different levels of acceptance between onshore and offshore mining contradict concerns regarding the environmental impacts of extractivism.

It is probably premature to conclude that the movement in Belitung can be regarded as a good sign toward a wider post-extractivism initiative in Indonesia.

The social political context that make the transition start and what drives the process are strongly embedded in the local context, which might be difficult to replicate in other regions.

The abrupt withdrawal of Timah in the region may provide the necessary shocks for the community to find alternative livelihoods. In this context, the design for policy alternatives to extractivisim should take local conditions into account.

In addition, to generate change and avoid stagnation during the transition, stricter social and environmental policies must be implemented for extractive activities.

For example, to acquire a license, the extractive projects must be subject to vigorous environmental administration.

Furthermore, commodity prices must also be adjusted to incorporate their social and environmental externalities beyond operational costs and in turn may discourage consumption. In short, there are several key aspects for post-extractivism to occur.

This includes social and political awareness regarding the importance of reducing dependency toward extractivism. It obviously may not be an easy task. However, the Belitung case may also inspire similar movements in other resource- rich regions in Indonesia.

Expanding the idea to transform into post-extractivism does not necessarily mean having to wait until the resources are exhausted. Indeed, it is possible by discovering alternative economic development and diversifying livelihood.
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The writer teaches at the international relations department, School of Social and Political Sciences, Gadjah Mada University.

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