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ASEAN Summit and the future of sustainable development in Labuan Bajo
In the community’s view, the government’s decision to bring in private companies to the Komodo National Park is just another strategy to relocate them outside the park.
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Stays afloat: A Pinisi traditional boat anchors in the waters near Meurorah Komodo Hotel, the venue for the ASEAN Summit, in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, on May 8, 2023. The 42nd summit takes place on May 9 through May 11. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
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nder the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Economic Growth”, the ASEAN Summit this week incorporates three underlying principles, strength, inclusivity and sustainability, wherein the public is convinced by the commitment of the parties to prioritize sustainable development throughout ASEAN states.
As already explained in various pieces of literature, sustainable development itself encompasses several principles that rest on environment preservation, local economy and embracing local culture.
It is not such a coincidence therefore that Labuan Bajo, a small town in the westernmost part of Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara, was chosen as the venue of the ASEAN Summit. I contend that Labuan Bajo is a location par excellence to digest the profound meaning of the ASEAN Summit, since it sets sustainable development in its very core agenda.
We can take a closer look at these two following reasons. On the one side, as is broadly known, in recent years, Labuan Bajo has been designated as a new epicenter of economic growth that relies on tourism investment. This means the government commits to generating income through investment-led tourism.
Besides the event itself, holding the ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo is certainly a golden opportunity for the government to widely promote Labuan Bajo’s tourism with Komodo dragons as the center of attraction.
However, on the other side, industry-based tourism in Labuan Bajo has instead brought about devastating effects on the environment and local community life. Notwithstanding broad criticism, the government has not yet paid attention to this public issue.
Situated within this context, based on my intensive engagement with the local community in Labuan Bajo and the surrounding areas in the last five years, there are several issues that have long become a public concern in Labuan Bajo and beyond. Central to those pieces of evidence is a deep question on the future of sustainable development, in which the ASEAN Summit is anchored.
