Death By A Thousand Cuts:Death By A Thousand Cuts:The Politics of Road Construction at The Politics of Road Construction at Kerinci Seblat National ParkKerinci Seblat National Park

Keith BettingerKeith BettingerDepartment of GeographyDepartment of GeographyUniversity of Hawai’iUniversity of Hawai’i

My Presentation…My Presentation…

• About Kerinci Seblat National Park…About Kerinci Seblat National Park…• Pros and Cons of Roads…Pros and Cons of Roads…• The new rules of The new rules of ReformasiReformasi……• Structural drivers of roads on Sumatra…Structural drivers of roads on Sumatra…• Socio-political residuals?Socio-political residuals?• Some case studies…Some case studies…• Recommendations…Recommendations…

Kerinci Seblat National Park…Kerinci Seblat National Park…

• 14,000 square kilometers (big)14,000 square kilometers (big)……

• 4 provinces, 15 kabs and 4 provinces, 15 kabs and kotas…kotas…

• Established 1991…Established 1991…• Tigers, rhinos (?), elephants, Tigers, rhinos (?), elephants,

various ecosystems, high various ecosystems, high conservation value…conservation value…

• An obstacle to commerce…An obstacle to commerce…• Faces threats from all sides…Faces threats from all sides…

– Mainly encroachmentMainly encroachment– 33 proposed road projects33 proposed road projects

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• Disturbs habitats and Disturbs habitats and migrations routes…migrations routes…

• Route for invasives…Route for invasives…• Increases runoff and Increases runoff and

erosion…erosion…• Direct impacts on Direct impacts on

hydrology…hydrology…• Undermines slope Undermines slope

stability…stability…• ““Foot in the door”…Foot in the door”…

Ecological Impacts of Roads…Ecological Impacts of Roads…

Road Construction on Sumatra…Road Construction on Sumatra…

• Extremely steep, unbuttressed road cuts…Extremely steep, unbuttressed road cuts…• High rates of erosion and slope instability….High rates of erosion and slope instability….• Steep grades slow traffic…Steep grades slow traffic…• Use of inferior or diluted materials…Use of inferior or diluted materials…• Often poorly maintained by Often poorly maintained by

district/provincial authorities….district/provincial authorities….• Facilitates illegal logging, cultivation to the Facilitates illegal logging, cultivation to the

right and left of the road, hunting…right and left of the road, hunting…

Landslide in Lebong DistrictLandslide in Lebong District

Road failure in LebongRoad failure in Lebong

Results of landslide in Kerinci DistrictResults of landslide in Kerinci District

New clearance along a new road in Kerinci districtNew clearance along a new road in Kerinci district

Landslide site on Bukit TapanLandslide site on Bukit Tapan

Rilling and gullying on the road to BangkoRilling and gullying on the road to Bangko

Otonomi Daerah and Infrastructure…

• Orde Baru Orde Baru projects controlled from center….projects controlled from center….– Now districts and province chart their own “development Now districts and province chart their own “development

destiny”…destiny”…• Money now comes from DAK and DAU…Money now comes from DAK and DAU…• Coalitions between district and national elites make Coalitions between district and national elites make

things happen…things happen…• Infrastructure projects a favorite of district Infrastructure projects a favorite of district

governments…governments…– Public works: a “wet place” (Public works: a “wet place” (tempat basahtempat basah))

• ““If you build it they will come”….If you build it they will come”….• A hierarchy of public policy…A hierarchy of public policy…

Sumatra: All about the commodities…Sumatra: All about the commodities…• Rubber, Palm Oil, Gold, Rubber, Palm Oil, Gold,

Coal…Coal…• Lots unexplored or Lots unexplored or

unexploited…unexploited…– Method to increase PAD…Method to increase PAD…

• Transport costs affect Transport costs affect commodities more than commodities more than finished goods per unit…finished goods per unit…

• Road as a “friction Road as a “friction surface”…surface”…

• Indonesia’s “master plan” Indonesia’s “master plan” for the future…Sumatra as for the future…Sumatra as a source of natural a source of natural resources…resources…

Reasons for building roads…Reasons for building roads…

• Historical and cultural ties Historical and cultural ties between communities…between communities…

• Economic development…Economic development…• Open isolated areas…Open isolated areas…• Evacuation routes…Evacuation routes…• New connectivity for a new New connectivity for a new

province: reconfiguring the province: reconfiguring the geography of Sumatra…geography of Sumatra…– Driven by “elite” interests…Driven by “elite” interests…

• ““Aspirasi Masyarakat”Aspirasi Masyarakat”

Aspirasi Masyarakat vs. Massa Aspirasi Masyarakat vs. Massa Mengambang…Mengambang…• How do you measure “aspirasi masyarakat”?How do you measure “aspirasi masyarakat”?• A problem of scale: which “masyarakat”?A problem of scale: which “masyarakat”?

– Local? How local? A district? A desa? A dusun? Local? How local? A district? A desa? A dusun? • Does TNKS inhabit a scale that no longer exists in Does TNKS inhabit a scale that no longer exists in

Indonesia?Indonesia?– Park is a national, international(?) priority…Park is a national, international(?) priority…– But who is the constituency?But who is the constituency?

• ““Blackboxing” “society” and erasing pluralism…Blackboxing” “society” and erasing pluralism…• Absolves the government of its responsibility to Absolves the government of its responsibility to

spend public funds in a responsible manner…spend public funds in a responsible manner…

Why is this important?Why is this important?

• Creating a false dichotomy between conservation and Creating a false dichotomy between conservation and development…development…

• Allowing the park to be used as a political tool…Allowing the park to be used as a political tool…• Roads currently attacked from conservation Roads currently attacked from conservation

standpoint?standpoint?– But who cares about conservation?But who cares about conservation?– Provides an opportunity to critique the road projects from a Provides an opportunity to critique the road projects from a

broader perspectivebroader perspective– Increases advocacy and awarenessIncreases advocacy and awareness– In the long term public policy is improvedIn the long term public policy is improved

• 40km from Solok Selatan 40km from Solok Selatan to Pesisir Selatanto Pesisir Selatan

• Decreases distance from Decreases distance from 250km to 60km250km to 60km

• Evacuation route, Evacuation route, economic developmenteconomic development

• Connects mines to port at Connects mines to port at PainanPainan

• Refused by governor, Refused by governor, refused by MENHUTrefused by MENHUT

Muara LabuhMuara LabuhKambangKambang

Renah Pemetik…Renah Pemetik…

• ““End of the road”…End of the road”…• Lots of infrastructure Lots of infrastructure

investment…investment…• ““Nasi sudah menjadi Nasi sudah menjadi

bubur”….bubur”….• Pelompek-RP-Muara Pelompek-RP-Muara

BungoBungo• Sharecropping Sharecropping

encroachmentencroachment• Land for sale in TNKS…Land for sale in TNKS…

6-meter soon-to-be asphalted road from Pungut to Renah Pemetik6-meter soon-to-be asphalted road from Pungut to Renah Pemetik

Renah Kemumu…Renah Kemumu…

• Within TNKS “zona Within TNKS “zona khusus”…khusus”…

• Poor…Poor…• 8 hours from district 8 hours from district

capital…capital…• Benzine 12k/liter…Benzine 12k/liter…• High transport costs limit High transport costs limit

agricultural choices…agricultural choices…• District-local District-local

“partnerships”…“partnerships”…

Existing “Road” Approaching Renah Kemumu

Access to Renah Kemumu from Tanjung KasriAccess to Renah Kemumu from Tanjung Kasri

Pro-road bupati candidate in SerampasPro-road bupati candidate in Serampas

Recommendations…Recommendations…

• Establish procedure for deliberating road proposals…Establish procedure for deliberating road proposals…• Increase inter-district and inter-provincial cooperation to Increase inter-district and inter-provincial cooperation to

coordinate infrastructure projects…coordinate infrastructure projects…• Examine road projects from the perspective of public Examine road projects from the perspective of public

policy…policy…• Regions should create a viable framework or program and Regions should create a viable framework or program and

demonstrate at least a modest commitment to getting the demonstrate at least a modest commitment to getting the job done before asking the international community for job done before asking the international community for money…money…

• Stop thinking in terms of a tradeoff between development Stop thinking in terms of a tradeoff between development and conservation…and conservation…

• Build tunnels…Build tunnels…