Between Partnership and Opposition: The Role of Environmental NGOs in Regional Policy Dynamics in Lampung Province
Abstract
This study explores the dynamic and multifaceted roles of environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—WALHI, Watala, and Mitra Bentala—in shaping regional environmental policy in Lampung Province, Indonesia. It aims to analyze how these NGOs navigate between collaboration and opposition in their interactions with the government, while addressing environmental challenges. Using a descriptive qualitative method, data were collected through interviews with NGO representatives, government officials, and environmental policy observers using a snowball sampling technique, complemented by relevant secondary data. The findings reveal that the three NGOs actively engage in environmental advocacy through campaigns, research, and grassroots mobilization. Their roles extend from being policy partners to critical watchdogs, depending on the alignment between government actions and environmental goals. Despite their significant influence, these NGOs face structural challenges, including limited resources and political resistance. The study underscores the constructive nature of the tension between NGOs and the government, where conflict serves as a form of policy oversight. Furthermore, NGO-facilitated community participation enhances the responsiveness of environmental policy to local needs. While the study is limited in scope, it contributes to the broader discourse on civil society's role in policy-making and suggests pathways to strengthen NGO-government collaboration for more inclusive and sustainable environmental governance at the regional level.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Agrawal, A. (2001). Common property institutions and sustainable governance of resources. World Development, 29(10), 1649–1672. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(01)00063-8
Basrowi, & Suwandi. (2008). Memahami Penelitian Kualitatif. Rineka Cipta.
Bebbington, A., Hickey, S., & Mitlin, D. (2018). Can NGOs Make a Difference? The Challenge of Development Alternatives. Zed Books.
Brinkerhoff, Derick W– Benjamin L. Crosby, 2002, Managing Policy Reform, Kumarian Press, USA
Brulle, R. J., & Aronczyk, M. (2022). (2022). Networked environmental advocacy: Examining the influence of social networks on policy outcomes. European Political Science Review, 14(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755773921000240
Bryant, R. L., & Bailey, S. (2017). Third World Political Ecology. Routledge.
Bulkeley, H., Andonova, L. B., Betsill, M. M., Compagnon, D., Hale, T., Hoffmann, M. J., ... & VanDeveer, S. D. (2019). Transnational Climate Change Governance. Cambridge University Press.
De Bakker, F. G., Rasche, A., & Ponte, S. (2019). Multi-stakeholder initiatives on sustainability: A cross-disciplinary review and research agenda for business ethics. Business Ethics Quarterly, 29(3), 343-383.
Dingwerth, K. (2008). Private transnational governance and the developing world: A comparative perspective. International Studies Quarterly, 52(3), 607–634. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2478.2008.00517.x
Dryzek, J. S., Norgaard, R. B., & Schlosberg, D. (2020). Climate-Challenged Society. Oxford University Press.
Edwards, M. (2019). Civil Society. Polity Press.
Fisher, D. R., Waggle, J., & Leifeld, P. (2019). Where Does Political Polarization Come From? Locating Polarization Within the U.S. Climate Change Debate. American Behavioral Scientist, 63(1), 81–91. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764218797154
Fisher, W. F. (1997). Doing Good? The Politics and Antipolitics of NGO Practices. Annual Review of Anthropology, 26, 439–464. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.26.1.439
Fowler, A. (2020). Striking a Balance: A Guide to Enhancing the Effectiveness of Non-Governmental Organizations in International Development. Routledge.
Frijns, J., Phuong, P. T., & Mol, A. P. J. (2014). Ecological modernisation theory and industrialising economies: The case of Viet Nam. Ecological Modernisation Around the World: Perspectives and Critical Debates, 31, 257–292.
Gaffar, Affan. 1999. Politik Indonesia : Transisi Menuju Demokrasi. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar
Ghori, S., Lund-Thomsen, P., Gallemore, C., Singh, S., & Riisgaard, L. (2022). Compliance and cooperation in global value chains: The effects of the better cotton initiative in Pakistan and India. Ecological Economics, 193(May 2021), 107312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107312
Hadiz, V. R., & Robison, R. (2017). Contemporary Southeast Asia: The Politics of Resistance and Control. Cambridge University Press.
IPCC. (2021). Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press.
Janicke, M., & Wurzel, R. K. W. (2019). Leadership and Innovation in Subnational Climate Action: The Case of the German Lander. Environmental Politics, 28(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2019.1521944
Liu, K. Di, Xiong, X., Xiang, W., Wu, S., Shi, D., Zhang, W., & Zhang, L. (2023). Investigating the coordination between ecological and economic systems in China’s green development process: a place-based interdisciplinary evaluation. Ecology and Society, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-13724-280143
Melyanti, R. (2014). The Role of Civil Society in Environmental Governance in Indonesia. Journal of Environmental Policy and Management, 17(2), 45–60.
Naderifar, M., Goli, H., & Ghaljaie, F. (2017). Snowball sampling: A purposeful method of sampling in qualitative research. Strides in Development of Medical Education, 14(3), e67670. https://doi.org/10.5812/sdme.67670
Najam, A. (2000). The Four-C’s of Third Sector– Government Relations: Cooperation, Confrontation, Complementarity, and Co-optation. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 10(4), 375–396.
Nyboer, E. A., Nguyen, V. M., Young, N., Rytwinski, T., Taylor, J. J., Lane, J. F., Bennett, J. R., Harron, N., Aitken, S. M., Auld, G., Browne, D., Jacob, A. I., Prior, K., Smith, P. A., Smokorowski, K. E., Alexander, S., & Cooke, S. J. (2021). Supporting Actionable Science for Environmental Policy : Advice for Funding Agencies From Decision Makers. 2(July). https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.693129
Pacewicz, J. (2020). The problem of political capacity: Tensions between democracy and expertise in environmental governance. American Journal of Sociology, 125(3), 734–782. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1086/707787
Rousseau, J. J. (2024). The Social Contract (Kontrak Sosial) 2024. Yogyakarta. Anak Hebat Indonesia.
Ryker, R. (1999). NGO-Government Relations: A Conceptual Framework for Policy Implementation. Journal of Development Studies, 36(3), 23–45.
Salamon, L. M., & Toepler, S. (2015). The International Handbook of Nonprofit Organizations. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Smith, J., & Korczak, A. (2019). The Role of NGOs in Policy Formulation: A Case Study of Environmental Governance.". Global Environmental Politics, 19(4), 56–72.
Steffen, W., Rockström, J., Richardson, K., Lenton, T. M., Folke, C., Liverman, D., Summerhayes, C. P., Barnosky, A. D., Cornell, S. E., Crucifix, M., Donges, J. F., Fetzer, I., Lade, S. J., Scheffer, M., Winkelmann, R., & Schellnhuber, H. J. (2018). Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115(33), 8252–8259. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1810141115
Sugiyono. (2019). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D. Alpabeta.
Suharko. (2005). Merajut Demokrasi : Hubungan NGO, Pemerintah, dan Pengembangan Tata Pemerintahan Demokratis. Tiara Wacana.
Webler, T., Kastenholz, H., & Renn, O. (1995). Public participation in impact assessment: A social learning perspective. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 15(5), 443–463. https://doi.org/10.1016/0195-9255(95)00043-E
Young, D. R. (2000). Alternative Models of Government-Nonprofit Sector Relations: Theoretical and International Perspectives. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 29(1), 149–172. https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764000291009
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35308/jpp.v11i3.11403
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 Maulana Mukhlis, Yulianto Yulianto, Ulfa Umayasari
p-ISSN: 2477-5738 I e-ISSN: 2502-0528 I DOI: 10.35308
Jl. Alue Peunyareng, Ujong Tanoh Darat, Meureubo, Kabupaten Aceh Barat, Aceh 23681, Indonesia
(0655) 7110535 l +621260313742 l +6285277110911
