Decentralization and natural resource management: New opportunities for communities in the upper Jeneberang watershed, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

After 32 years of centralized rule under President Soeharto (1966-1998), Indonesia joined the ranks of decentralized nations in 1999 in what is popularly known as the "big bang" approach to decentralization. A broad range of powers were devolved to district and city governments in a very short period of time as a means to promote democracy, generate more equitable economic growth and to quell the voices of secession in many regions of the country.;Although decentralization created an institutional framework to accommodate community participation, this did not translate into a greater role for communities in the management of the upper watershed's natural resources. Decentralization politically and economically strengthened the district government but there was no paradigm shift (policies and budgets) to indicate a new commitment to community participation. The district government had its own development priorities and they had nothing to do with either promoting community participation or improved resource management.;The institutional arrangements for managing the upper watershed do not address the underlying processes of development such as the links between farmer priorities and access and control of natural resources, or the unequal power relationships between government and other stakeholders. Indeed, long standing issues of access and control of forest resources remain unresolved, resulting in the de facto privatization of the upper watershed's forest resources. Community participation has been reduced to a technical consideration as a means to deliver services such as reforestation programs.;In the literature it is normally argued that decentralization brings numerous benefits, ranging from greater democracy and efficiency in decision-making, to improved public services, more sustainable livelihoods, to greater community participation. This dissertation examines the linkages between decentralization, community participation and natural resource management in the upper Jeneberang watershed, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. A single case study design using both qualitative and quantitative methods was applied to investigate whether decentralization had created new spaces for community participation in the management of the upper Jeneberang's natural resources.