Budhi Gunawan

Resettlement Issues of Cirata Dam Project: A Post-project Review

Forced population displacement caused by dam construction has been regarded as the most serious issue of water resources development. Nevertheless, the best practice is still not yet established. This paper aims to examine the performance of the involuntary resettlement scheme applied to the Cirata Dam project in Indonesia to obtain clues for improvement. Aquaculture development in the reservoir succeeded in creating new jobs for resettlers. Most resettlers ended up with less farmland than they had previously owing to the increase in land price. The land-for-land compensation scheme is preferable to cash compensation. Participation of resettlers in the planning and implementation of the resettlement scheme still had room for improvement. Some intermediate mechanism, between villagers and those implementing the resettlement scheme, should be devised. More careful and streamlined efforts should have been made as regards the secondary development of the project, so that those displaced could enjoy the benefits.

Compensation Schemes for Resettlers in Indonesian Dam Construction Projects

Abstract The performance of previous involuntary resettlement schemes for dam construction projects leaves much to be desired. The question to be asked is whether the present policy of development aid agencies is appropriate for countries where more dams will be built. This study examines the applicability of Japanese “soft technologies” to determine whether the existing policy is really instrumental in mitigating impacts. The study was carried out through analysis on Saguling and Cirata dam construction projects on the island of Java, Indonesia, in which 3,038 and 6,300 families were resettled, respectively. The emphasis of resettlement plans for these dams was on transmigration and aquaculture. The following findings were made: land-for-land policy was not fully met; transmigration schemes did not work as planned; resettlers failed to enjoy the benefits from aquaculture development fully due to the high capital needed; employment by dam construction projects was limited; and insufficient capital and tra...

Livelihood status of resettlers affected by the Saguling Dam project, 25 years after inundation

A study of the effects of the Saguling Dam project has been conducted. This paper attempts to examine the long-term effects of the dam construction on the livelihoods of the displaced people, paying special attention to any effects caused by inequality of access to resettlement schemes. The study results indicate that the majority of the resettlers perceived their livelihoods as being better after their resettlement. However, loss of jobs or conversion to less preferable or beneficial occupations caused by the project has affected their satisfaction level. In addition, inequality of access to options of the resettlement scheme has caused differences in socio-economic status among the resettlers. Furthermore, in the long term, the option has also failed to indemnify resettlers from lost livelihoods due to environmental and socio-economic constraints. For future resettlement programmes, the authors propose that policy makers should employ analysis instruments which can precisely predict long-run impacts, while local backgrounds and dynamics are important to be considered to secure the success of resettlement programmes.

Community dependency on forest resources in West Java, Indonesia: the need to re-involve local people in forest management.

Abstract Policies aimed at the exclusion of local communities from forest management are inappropriate, especially in a densely populated area with a low level of land ownership. Here we demonstrate that termination of the Tumpang Sari program, which allowed local communities access to areas for controlled cultivation in several parts of the state forest area in West Java, Indonesia, did not cease illegal cultivation of the forestland. Moreover, illegal cultivation continues to be conducted by many people. This has created not only a land degradation problem but also has affected other forest resource users, the fuelwood collectors and the dairy cattle farmers. Therefore, the re-involvement of local communities in better forest management is required to avoid further environmental degradation as well as enhance poverty alleviation programs.

Double Burden of Malnutrition in Rural West Java: Household-Level Analysis for Father-Child and Mother-Child Pairs and the Association with Dietary Intake.

Indonesia is facing household-level double burden malnutrition. This study aimed at examining (1) household-level double burden for the mother-child and father-child pairs; (2) risk of adiposity of double burden households; and (3) associated dietary factors. Subjects were 5th and 6th grade elementary school children (n = 242), their mothers (n = 242), and their fathers (n = 225) in five communities (1 = urban, 4 = rural) in the Bandung District. Questionnaires on socioeconomic factors, blood hemoglobin measurements, and anthropometric measurements were administered. For adults, body fat percentage (BF%) was estimated by bioelectrical impedance (BF%-BI) and by converting skinfold thickness (ST) data using Durnin and Womersley’s (1974) formula (BF%-ST). Food frequency questionnaires were also completed. Double burden was defined as coexistence of maternal or paternal overweight (Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 23) and child stunting (height-for-age z-score <−2) within households. Maternal-child double burden occurred in 30.6% of total households, whereas paternal-child double burden was only in 8.4%. Mothers from double burden households showed high adiposity; 87.3% with BF%-BI and 66.2% with BF%-ST had BF% >35%, and 60.6% had waists >80 cm. The major dietary patterns identified were “Modern” and “High-animal products”. After controlling for confounding factors, children in the highest quartile of the “High-animal products” dietary pattern had a lower risk of maternal-child double burden (Adjusted OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.21–1.04) than those in the lowest quartile. Given that the “High-animal products” dietary pattern was associated with the decreased risk of maternal-child double burden through a strong negative correlation with child stunting, improving child stunting through adequate intake of animal products is critical to solve the problem of maternal-child double burden in Indonesia.

Organophosphorus Pesticide Exposure of School Children in Agricultural Villages in Indonesia

The effects of environmental chemicals on children’s health are important issues in Asian developing countries undergoing rapid urbanization, although little data have been reported. We investigated the organophosphorus (OP) pesticide exposure of 235 elementary school children living in three agricultural villages in the Citarum watershed, Bandung, Indonesia, through urinary and blood biomonitoring. We evaluated four common dialkylphosphate (DAP) metabolites of OP compounds: dimethylphosphate (DMP), dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP), diethylphosphate (DEP), and diethylthiophosphate (DETP). Moreover, blood cell acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was assessed using blood samples. The collection of biological samples was accompanied by a questionnaire-based survey on sociodemographic indicators, food consumption, and behavioral patterns. The detection rates of DMP, DMTP, DEP, and DETP were 8.6, 21.7, 17.2, and 29.8%, and the median levels of dimethyl-, diethyl-, and total DAP were 5.8, 3.1, and 11.8nmol /L, respectively. These exposure levels of OP pesticides were lower than those reported in developed countries, possibly due to the low consumption of farm-grown fruits and the infrequent use of OP pesticides. The detection rate of DAP was highest in the village practicing pisciculture, where the use of pesticides was expected to be the lowest among the three villages, although the reason for this was not clear from our interview results.

Urban-rural difference in the determinants of dietary and energy intake patterns: A case study in West Java, Indonesia

Background Few studies have explored differences in the determinants of individual dietary/energy intake patterns between urban and rural areas. Objective To examine whether the associations between individual characteristics and dietary/energy intake patterns differ between urban and rural areas in West Java, Indonesia. Methods A 3-day weighed food record, interviews, and anthropometric measurements were conducted in Bandung (urban area; n = 85) and Sumedang (rural area; n = 201). Total energy intake and intake from protein, fat, and carbohydrates were calculated. Food items were grouped into dietary categories based on the main ingredients to calculate their share of total energy intake. The associations between individual characteristics and dietary/energy intake were examined by fitting regression models. Models that also included education and body mass index (BMI) were fitted to adult samples only. Results In Sumedang, the total energy intake and energy intake from carbohydrates, fat, and grain/tubers were significantly associated with age and occupation. In Bandung, energy intake from grain/tubers and vegetables/legumes was related to sex and occupation, while other indicators showed no associations. Among adults, BMI was associated with the total energy intake and educational level was associated with energy intake from vegetables/legumes (both only in Sumedang). Conclusions The relationship between demographic and socioeconomic factors and dietary/energy intake patterns differs in rural versus urban areas in West Java. These results suggest that different strategies are needed in rural and urban areas to identify and aid populations at risk of diet-related diseases.