Green Growth Strategy in Natural Resources Management and Its Correlation to Prevention of Corruption: Practices in Indonesia

Abstract

Short term of cash return in natural resources management as economic benefit has been considered as a usual approach in practice. However, environmental degradation has been escalated since this approach ignores its negative impacts to the environment. This, of course, has caused the increase of greenhouse gas emission which is contra-productive for Indonesia commitment to reduce emissions by 26 % and up to 41 % with international support by 2020. This approach also perpetuates patronage and rent seeking relation pattern due to its economic benefit which generates corrupt practices. Concerning to the related issues of the usual implementation of business, green growth strategy is established to prevent further environmental degradation. By implementing such strategy, the economic development shall positively correlate with the natural resources conservation through accountable environmental management. Distinct from business as usual approach, such strategy does not provide short term of cash return, yet it provides benefits for the environment, social, ecosystem, and will reduce the emission. Therefore, such strategy requires the changes on how business actors managing the natural resources, yet also requires the government to develop green growth projects policy reciprocally. The importance of this changing is to meet the aim of green growth strategy itself, such as restoring degraded land, managing water resources, improving air quality and utilizing waste management, etc., and also assuredly to prevent corrupt practices. Since green growth strategy necessitates rigidly, yet tenuously of study and policy for the project, elimination of the opportunities for corrupt practices is compulsory to be met.