Sustainable development in Indonesia : holistic assessments and pathways

Abstract

This thesis assesses the status of sustainable development in Indonesia, identifies the systemic barriers, and offers holistic development pathways toward sustainability. The framework employed in this research looks at the interactions between the economy, employment, and environment while taking into account the forces of technology and globalization. It concludes that the development in Indonesia is not yet on a sustainable path. The economy is performing well and unemployment is low, but inequality is very high, capacity to adapt is low, and the environment is quickly degrading. The major barrier towards sustainability are fundamentally politics: messy decentralization, pervasive corruption, and persistent elite capture. Other systemic barriers are the low level of education, fragmented innovation system, and low awareness of sustainability issues. To make progress towards sustainability, the systemic barriers must be cleared. Local governments need to be made clean and competent; lifelong learning systems established; local innovations boosted; pollutions prevented at the source using technological or organizational innovations; and awareness of sustainability issues raised. The findings in this thesis are summarized and mapped to the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the concluding chapter.