New Publication: Plural Sustainabilities: Diverging Perceptions and Practices of ‘Environmental Protection’ in Indonesia New: Plural Sustainabilities: Diverging Perceptions and Practices of ‘Environmental Protection’ in Indonesia

A new book has been published! Please check it out using the open access link below. We especially recommend you to read the chapter 8 by our departments professor Kristina Großmann. 

Abstract of the chapter 8 from Kristina Großmann 

Title: "Plural Sustainabilities: Diverging Perceptions and Practices of ‘Environmental Protection’ in Indonesia"

Central Kalimantan is rich in biodiversity and natural resources. Efforts to protect the remaining forested areas evokes tensions between diverse ways of understanding and practising environmental protection by different actors: members of environmental and Indigenous peoples’ rights organisations depict semi-nomadic groups such as the Punan Murung as ‘noble savages’. These groups are ascribed in an essentialist way that they are ‘closer to nature’ and have a greater capacity to protect their environment than other ethnic groups, which are excluded from their environmental programmes. Semi-nomadic groups do foster certain trees or animals but are also sometimes heavily involved in the (over)exploitation of natural resources. However, their practices differ from the Western approach to nature conservation, perceiving nature as separated and dichotomous to humans. In this chapter, I describe different perceptions and practices of sustainability and ‘environmental protection’ by villagers and members of conservation organisations.