Mobilizing for Conservation: The Role of Social Movements in Damaran Baru Ecovillage, Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24259/fs.v9i1.36337Keywords:
Social movements, environmental conservation, Eco-village development, Gender inclusivity, Sustainable tourismAbstract
This article highlights the role of social movements in environmental conservation by developing an ecovillage in Damaran Baru in Bener Meriah Regency, Aceh, Indonesia, focusing on ecological sustainability and gender inclusivity. The primary aim of this paper is to explore how community-based social movements and government policies can collaborate to promote sustainable tourism practices that protect the environment and enhance local community welfare. A qualitative method with a phenomenological approach was employed in the data collection process, which included field observations, in-depth interviews with village residents and relevant stakeholders, and analysis of official and non-official documents related to the ecovillage program. The research findings show that Damaran Baru Village successfully implemented the ecovillage model in response to the 2015 flash flood disaster. The social movement led by the local community, with support from Non-Governmental Organizations and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, managed 251 hectares of forest land. The active role of women as forest guards became an essential symbol of gender inclusivity in conservation. This study concludes that community-based social movements and government policy support are crucial in realizing sustainable tourism that benefits both the environment and society. The development of ecovillages, such as in Damaran Baru, demonstrates that environmental conservation and economic growth can coexist successfully. This study recommends enhancing tourist infrastructure, offering sustainable training programs for the local community, diversifying income streams, and establishing partnerships with external organizations to support long-term success.
References
Adam, L. (2019). Promoting the Indonesian Special Economic Zones for Tourism: Lessons from Mandalika and Tanjung Kelayang. Economics and Finance in Indonesia, 65(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.47291/efi.v65i1.609
Aida, T. Y., Nurohmat, D. R., & Kuncahyo, B. (2023). Opsi Kebijakan Penggunaan Lahan dalam Kawasan Hutan di Kabupaten Tanjung Jabung Barat. Jurnal Analisis Kebijakan Kehutanan, 20(2), 79–90. https://doi.org/10.59100/jakk.2023.20.2. 79-90
Andreas, M. (2013). Must Utopia be an island? Positioning an ecovillage within its region. Social Sciences Directory, 2(4), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.7563/SSD_02_ 04_02
Arfan, A., Juanda, M. F., Maddatuang, M., Umar, R., Maru, R., & Anshari, A. (2022). Strategi Pengelolaan Ekowisata Mangrove Pulau Bangkobangkoang Kabupaten Pangkep, Sulawesi Selatan. Jurnal Analisis Kebijakan Kehutanan, 19(1), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.20886/jakk.2022.19.1.49-62
Bang, J. M. (2005). Permaculture - A Student’s Guide to the Theory and Practice of Ecovillage Design. Florish Book.
Creswell, J. W. (2019). Research Design, Pendekatan Metode Kualitatif, Kuantitatif dan Campuran (4th Edition). Pustaka Pelajar.
Dawson, J. (2022). From Islands to Networks: The History and Future of the Ecovillage Movement. In Lockyer, J. & Veteto, J. R. (Eds.), Environmental Anthropology Engaging Ecotopia (pp. 217–234). Berghahn Books. https://doi.org/10.1515/978 0857458803-018
Desfandi, M. (2015). Mewujudkan Masyarakat Berkarakter Peduli Lingkungan Melalui Program Adiwiyata. SOSIO DIDAKTIKA: Social Science Education Journal, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.15408/sd.v2i1.1661
Dewi, N. W. S., Sutama, I. K., & Murni, N. G. N. S. (2021). Belimbing Tourism Village: A Green Marketing Strategy. International Journal of Glocal Tourism, 2(3), 160–169. https://doi.org/10.58982/injogt.v2i3.71
Ding, L., & Jiang, C. (2023). The impact of rural tourism destination attractiveness on tourists’ environmentally responsible behavioral intentions: the mediating role of green self-identity. Journal of Global Responsibility. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR -03-2023-0046
Dodd, T., & Beverland, M. (2001). Winery Tourism Life-cycle Development: A Proposed Model. Tourism Recreation Research, 26(2), 11–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/025 08281.2001.11081339
Firman, A., Moslehpour, M., Qiu, R., Lin, P.-K., Ismail, T., & Rahman, F. F. (2023). The impact of eco-innovation, ecotourism policy and social media on sustainable tourism development: evidence from the tourism sector of Indonesia. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 36(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.20 22.2143847
Hajad, V., & Ikhsan, I. (2024). Ecofeminism as a Movement: Choosing between Economics and Nature Protection. Theoretical and Practical Research in Economic Fields, 15(1), 91. https://doi.org/10.14505/tpref.v15.1(29).09
Imran, S., Alam, K., & Beaumont, N. (2014). Reinterpreting the Definition of Sustainable Development for a More Ecocentric Reorientation. Sustainable Development, 22(2), 134–144. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.537
Ismail, N., Bakhtiar, B., Yanis, M., Darisma, D., & Abdullah, F. (2020). Mitigasi dan Adaptasi Struktural Bahaya Banjir Berdasarkan Kearifan lokal Masyarakat Aceh Singkil. Jurnal Antropologi: Isu-Isu Sosial Budaya, 22(2), 276. https://doi.org/ 10.25077/jantro.v22.n2.p276-285.2020
Izwar, I., Badaruddin, B., Mulya, M. B., & Sibarani, R. (2020). Potential of Reusam Island to Become Sharia Ecotourism Area. GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites, 30(2 supplement), 827–834. https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.302spl07-511
Junaidi, J. (2022). Indahnya Gunung Berapi Burni Telong Bener Meriah. Readers.Id. Accessed from https://www.readers.id/read/indahnya-gunung-berapi-burni-telong-bener-meriah/index.html.
Koduvayur Venkitaraman, A., & Joshi, N. (2022). A critical examination of a community-led ecovillage initiative: a case of Auroville, India. Climate Action, 1(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44168-022-00016-3
Liu-Lastres, B., Mariska, D., Tan, X., & Ying, T. (2020). Can post-disaster tourism development improve destination livelihoods? A case study of Aceh, Indonesia. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 18, 100510. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jdmm.2020.100510
MacGregor, S. (2004). From Care to Citizenship: Calling Ecofeminism Back to Politics. Ethics & the Environment, 9(1), 56–84. https://doi.org/10.1353/een.2004.0007
McAdam, D., Tarrow, S., & Tilly, C. (2001). Dynamics of Contention. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511805431
McCarthy, J. D., & Zald, M. N. (1977). Resource Mobilization and Social Movements: A Partial Theory. American Journal of Sociology, 82(6), 1212–1241. https://doi.org/ 10.1086/226464
Ministry of Environment and Forestry. (2023). Jaga dan Kelola Hutan di Aceh, Desa Damaran Baru Diganjar Kalpataru. 6 Juni 2023. Accessed from https://kanalkomunikasi.pskl.menlhk.go.id/jaga-dan-kelola-hutan-di-aceh-desa-damaran-baru-diganjar-kalpataru/
Pagdee, A., Kim, Y., & Daugherty, P. J. (2006). What Makes Community Forest Management Successful: A Meta-Study From Community Forests Throughout the World. Society & Natural Resources, 19(1), 33–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/089 41920500323260
Santoso, J., Mutahir, A., Restuadhi, H., & Chusna, A. (2024). Moving with the Soul: Cipari Peasant Movements for Land Rights in Indonesia. Forest and Society, 8(1), 16–40. https://doi.org/10.24259/fs.v8i1.26579
Saputra, Z., Sartiyah, S., & Seftarita, C. (2022). The Impact of Tourism on Economic Growth: Evidence from Aceh Province, Indonesia. International Journal of Global Optimization and Its Application, 1(3), 223–228. https://doi.org/10.56225/ijgoi a.v1i3.74
Schulz, M. S. (2016). Social Movements and Futures Research. World Futures Review, 8(2), 98–107. https://doi.org/10.1177/1946756716634310
Schusser, C., Krott, M., Movuh, M. C. Y., Logmani, J., Devkota, R. R., Maryudi, A., ... & Bach, N. D. (2015). Powerful stakeholders as drivers of community forestry—Results of an international study. Forest Policy and Economics, 58, 92-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2015.05.011
Sherry, J. (2019). The impact of community sustainability: A life cycle assessment of three ecovillages. Journal of Cleaner Production, 237, 117830. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117830
Singh, N. (2024). Gender, Environment Degradation, and Bioenergy Trajectories: Eco-Feminist Perspective. In Filho, W. L., Ng, T. F., Iyer-Raniga, U., Ng, A., & Sharifi A. (Eds.), SDGs in the Asia and Pacific Region (pp. 1387-1406). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91262-8_1-1
Surati, S., Budiningsih, K., Septina, A. D., & Gamin, G. (2023). Revitalization of Forestry Extension for Prevention Land and Forest Fire: A Learning from Kubu Raya Regency. Jurnal Analisis Kebijakan Kehutanan, 20(2), 65–77. https://doi.org/ 10.59100/jakk.2023.20.2.65-77
Tang, C., Yang, Y., Liu, Y., & Xiao, X. (2023). Comprehensive evaluation of the cultural inheritance level of tourism-oriented traditional villages: The example of Beijing. Tourism Management Perspectives, 48, 101166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2 023.101166
van Kessel, S., & Fagan, A. (2022). Mobilising around Europe: a conceptual framework and introduction to the special section. Social Movement Studies, 21(1–2), 169–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/14742837.2022.2029392
Waerther, S. (2014). Sustainability in ecovillages – a reconceptualization. International Journal of Management and Applied Research, 1(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10. 18646/2056.11.14-001
Yuliastuti, N., Wahyono, H., Syafrudin, S., & Sariffuddin, S. (2017). Dimensions of Community and Local Institutions’ Support: Towards an Eco-Village Kelurahan in Indonesia. Sustainability, 9(2), 245. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9020245
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Forest and Society
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an open access journal which means that all contents is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.
Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher. An article based on a section from a completed graduate dissertation may be published in Forest and Society, but only if this is allowed by author's(s') university rules. The Editors reserve the right to edit or otherwise alter all contributions, but authors will receive proofs for approval before publication.
Forest and Society operates a CC-BY 4.0 © license for journal papers. Copyright remains with the author, but Forest and Society is licensed to publish the paper, and the author agrees to make the article available with the CC-BY 4.0 license. Reproduction as another journal article in whole or in part would be plagiarism. Forest and Society reserves all rights except those granted in this copyright notice
