By UCA News reporter
INDONESIA – An Indonesian Catholic bishop has called on the authorities in one of the nation’s most popular tourist destinations to prioritize environmental protection and welfare of people in tourism activities.
Bishop Maksimus Regus of Labuan Bajo in the Catholic-majority Flores Island said that tourism can only thrive properly in a healthy and sustainable ecosystem.
“If development does not take ecological balance into account, the tourism sector will face serious threats,” Regus said in his Lenten pastoral letter, which was read out at all churches on Apr 7.
He added that tourism that ignores the preservation of nature and the interests of local communities will only bring disaster, whether in the form of environmental damage, widespread economic injustice, or social conflict.
“The orientation towards economic profit alone without strengthening the basis of ecological sustainability will only pose danger for future generations,” the prelate said.
Labuan Bajo is the gateway to Komodo National Park, the natural habitat of the famed giant Komodo lizards. It has become a hub of tourism over the past two decades thanks to various state-sponsored tourism projects, leading to the construction of hotels, resorts, and other infrastructure along the coastal and forest areas.
The government of former president Joko Widodo listed Labuan Bajo as one of a host of locations to be developed as “New Bali” – named after Indonesia’s most popular tourist destination, Bali.
However, the government scheme stirred protests in Labuan Bajo with local residents and activists opposing what they say is “an unacceptable development model” that prioritizes economic gains at the expense of the environment.
Activists say that the state-sponsored expansion of tourism threatens to marginalize the local community and damage the environment due to destruction of forest cover and filling of wetlands for construction of infrastructure, leading to a reduction of water catchment areas.
In January, several areas in the town faced waterlogging for the first time following an unprecedented flash flood.
Last week, several residents in the town fought with the security guard of a beachside hotel who prohibited them from going to the beach area.
Labuan Bajo’s natural beauty and richness are the main attractions for tourism, but these are being threatened with so-called development projects, lamented Doni Pereira, a Catholic and social activist.
“Is this how we should treat nature? No one is able to take firm action against the destruction of our natural resources,” he told UCA News, noting that the government should seriously consider the message from the bishop on the matter.
Patris Ekaputra, chairman of the Indonesian Catholic Student Association in Labuan Bajo, stated that “privatization of the beach is a form of crime.”
He pointed out that existing regulations ban privatization of beach areas 100 meters from the highest tide point.
In 2021, officials in West Manggarai Regency announced 11 star-rated hotels in the coastal area of the island with permission to exclusively control adjacent beach area, which activists say violates existing rules.
Heri Jem, a resident, said that he hopes the Church should also urge the government to review other “problematic tourism projects.”
He noted that Bowosie Forest in the eastern part of the city was turned into a business hub, defying environmental concerns.
In 2018, Widodo ordered the transfer of 400 hectares of forest land to the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority for the development of hotels and resorts.
For the development, the government also acquired land from residents around the forest despite opposition, Jem said. – UCA News
