Histories of Protected Areas Internationalisation of Conservationist Values and their Adoption in the Netherlands Indies (Indonesia)

Jul 8, 2026

Upload by Rowan

National parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Indonesia face threats after the collapse of the Suharto New Order, not only through physical pressures but also as social ideals. The paper examines the original intentions and key actors behind Dutch colonial policy for nature “monuments” and wildlife sanctuaries. It links Western cultural shifts (1860–1910), emerging conservation values, international lobbying networks, and the Netherlands Indies government’s policy adoption. The study argues motivations were rooted in intellectual/aesthetic contemplation and moral responsibility for threatened species.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages45

Reading Time1 h 53 min

Abstract

Introduction

Protected areas as a feature of the modern nation state

Dutch colonial origins and later Suharto-era expansion

Post-Suharto tensions and contested legitimacy

Relevance of historic examination for future governance

Conservation as a social movement and value formation

Histories of Protected Areas:Internationalisation of Conservationist Values and their Adoption in the Netherlands Indies(Indonesia) Author(s):PAUL JEPSON and ROBERT J.WHITTAKER Source:Environment and History,Vol.8,No.2(May 2002),pp.129-172 Published by:White Horse Press Stable URL:https://www.jstor.org/stable/20723220 Accessed:23-10-201909:39 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars,researchers,and students discover,use,and build upon a widerange of content in a trusted digital archive.We use information technology and tools to increase productivity andfacilitate new forms of scholarship.For more information about JSTOR,please contact support@jstor.org. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms &Conditions of Use,available athttps://about.jstor.org/terms White Horse Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize,preserve and extend access toEnvironment and History # Histories of Protected Areas:Internationalisation ofConservationist Values and their Adoption in theNetherlands Indies (Indonesia) PAUL JEPSON*AND ROBERT J.WHITTAKER School of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of Oxford Mansfield Road,Oxford,OX13TB,UK*Corresponding author.Email:paul.jepson@geog.ox.ac.uk ## ABSTRACT National parks and wildlife sanctuaries are under threat both physically and asa social ideal in Indonesia following the collapse of the Suharto New Orderregime(1967-1998).Opinion-makers perceive parks as representing elitespecial interest,constraining economic development and/or indigenous rights.We asked what was the original intention and who were the players behind theNetherlands Indies colonial government policy of establishing nature ‘monu-ments'and wildlife sanctuaries.Basedon a review ofinternational conservationliterature,three inter-related themes are explored:a)the emergence in the 1860-1910 period of new worldviews on the human-nature relationship in westernculture;b)the emergence of new conservation values and the translation of theseinto public policy goals,namely designation of protected areas andenforcementof wildlife legislation,by international lobbying networks of prominent men;and 3)the adoption of these policies by the Netherlands Indies government. This paper provides evidence that the root motivations of protected areapolicy are noble,namely:1)a desire to preserve sites with special meaning forintellectual and aesthetic contemplation of nature;and 2)acceptance that thehuman conquest of nature carries with it a moral responsibility to ensure thesurvival of threatened life forms.Although these perspectives derive from elitesociety of the American East Coast and Western Europe at the end of thenineteenth century,they are international values to which civilised nations andsocieties aspire.It would be a tragedy if Indonesia rejects these social values andprotected areas because subsequent management polices have associated pro-tected areas with aspects of the colonial and New Order regime that contempo-rary society seeks to reform. ## KEY WORDS Conservation ethics,Indonesia,nature conservation history,protected areas Environment and History 8(2002):129-72◎2002 The White Horse Press,Cambridge,UK. PAULJEPSON AND ROBERT J.WHITTAKER ## INTRODUCTION Protected areas (national parks,nature reserves,etc.)are one characteristic of themodern nation state;in 1993,169 of 171 countries had protected areas andsupporting legislation.The Netherlands Indies (Indonesia)was among the firstcountries to designate protected areas:the Dutch colonial government passedprotected area legislation between 1916 and 1933.Subsequently,the SuhartoNew Order Government(1967-1998)adopted a science-based protected areapolicy andexpanded the designated areato nearly 10%of the terrestrialland areain the form of national parks,wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves. Contemporary conservation and protected area management policy in Indo-nesia is wrought with tensions.In this post-Suha

FAQs

What threats do protected areas face in Indonesia after the Suharto New Order?

Protected areas face threats both physically and as social ideals. Parks are perceived by opinion-makers as serving elite interests, constraining development, and/or suppressing indigenous rights.

What questions does the paper focus on regarding Dutch colonial conservation policy?

The paper asks what the original intention was and who the key players were behind the Netherlands Indies colonial government’s policy of establishing nature “monuments” and wildlife sanctuaries.

Which main themes does the paper use to explain policy development and adoption?

It explores three inter-related themes: new Western worldviews about the human–nature relationship (1860–1910), the emergence and translation of conservation values into policy through international lobbying networks, and the adoption of these policies by the Netherlands Indies government.

Jul 8, 2026

Upload by Rowan