Economic development in a biodiversity hotspot: what is the jungle worth? : A case study of local understandings of forest use in North Sumatra

Abstract: Sustainable development as our joint global goal is consensus in the mainstream international arena, in the name of long-term well-being for all living creatures. However economic constraints often limit the choices available to local communities, forcing them to make trade-offs between immediate socioeconomic gains and the long-term sustainability of natural resources. Thus, economic interests parallel with biodiversity conservation create difficult positionings for individuals, which becomes even clearer in developing areas and biodiversity hotspots. Despite this conflict of interest, there is currently insufficient empirical evidence on how communities on microlevels – in areas of both environmental and developmental interests – understand and reason about this potential dilemma. A discrepancy between assumptions and empirics motivates an investigation of discourses from local perspectives. This thesis will therefore highlight local development and environmental discourses of forest and land use. The region of North Sumatra, Indonesia, functions as a paradigmatic case study on how community members reason who are appointed to two forceful narratives – resource extraction and biodiversity conservation. Through conducting semi-structured interviews and using discourse analysis, two environmental discourses and four development discourses were identified in the local understandings of forest and land use. This gives us indications of how the jungle is understood and valued from a bottom-up perspective. Exploring local perspectives of land use is essential for informed decision-making, promoting sustainable development, ensuring social equity, and fostering community engagement. Further research on the relationship and interactions between local communities and the natural world is called upon.