Nature Conservation in a Frontier Region of Java']Java during the Colonial and Early Post-Colonial Periods

Given the changing environmental realities under colonial rule, Java was believed to have come close to a time of ecological crisis. Drawing upon a number of historical sources, this paper examines the development of nature conservation in a frontier region of Java called the Besuki Residency. It is argued that nature conservation in the region was a reflection of trends in a broader context. The challenges for nature conservation were not only due to the continuing contests over resources between the state and the people, but also to internal issues within the government. Up until around 1970 nature conservation remained very much state-centred and with a strong international thrust, rather than relying on popular support, and the primary problems were mostly encountered in the enforcement of the laws, rather than in the absence of a legal framework. The problems existing in the implementation of nature conservation both during the colonial and post-colonial periods essentially remained very much the same.