Peasant versus government perception and use of the environment: a case study of Banjarese ecology and river basin development in South Kalimantan

In: Journal of Southeast Asian studies

Abstract

After a critique of current analyses of development problems, which, the author believes, are not "sociological" enough, he illustrates this by analyzing the recent development history of the Riam Kanan valley in South Kalimantan. Following a brief description of the valley, its inhabitants, and the hydroelectric project that has become the dominant factor in its development planning, the two major agroecosystems (forest-based swidden agriculture and grassland-based permanent field farming) are discussed. Each system is found to be the object of both negative perceptions and proscriptive policies on the part of the local government. (DÜI-Sen)