Governing Archipelagos on Their Terms: a Case Study of the Riau Islands

Mohamad Rachmadian Narotama,G Jameson,T Yamamoto,H Pardi,I Gibson,L.W Feng

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202132406002

Abstract

Indonesian geographic archipelago and its small islands’ characteristics or ‘Islandness’ is widely known factor that shape and contour every aspect of the island life, whether it is social, economic, political, or governance. This paper addressed the pursuit of understanding the archipelago way of local government by examining how Indonesian geographic archipelago influences different aspects of island life through the experience of the archipelago governance. This paper compiled based on a 6-month research conducted in 2018 in 4 districts of the Riau Island Province; Bintan, Lingga, Natuna, and Anambas Island. This paper provided interesting findings on how geography, contours and conditions of Riau Island shape different aspects of island life and governance, in both direct and indirect ways. Although Riau Islands’ government responds the situation by requesting more substantial autonomy and resource, which can contribute to more opportunities for the island development, the government misses the point of having a comprehensive way to govern the island that encompasses every aspect of governance; from public administration to political arrangements.

Highlights

The government of Riau Islands Province along with other archipelago province governments have long been negotiating with the central government for more resources and autonomy to overcome their peripherality; additional resources and autonomy is assumed to support better archipelago governance
There is minimal reference and academic work on public administration for small islands; this view shared with Chittoo [30] who finds only partial work on public administration of Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and microstates that focus on smallness, but there is little emphasis on how islandness comes into play
This paper has provided a description of some theories, concepts and current issues surrounding small islands, archipelagos and archipelago governance

Summary

Introduction

The government of Riau Islands Province along with other archipelago province governments have long been negotiating with the central government for more resources and autonomy to overcome their peripherality; additional resources and autonomy is assumed to support better archipelago governance. In terms of development and governance, isolation, remoteness and peripherality become prominently highlighted attributes associated with islandness [7]– [12]; this relates with a broader context of discussions on the ‘spatial poverty trap,’ which refers to the condition where an area’s development limited by the lack of certain geographical advantages such as resource, access, and population [13]. Due to their particular conditions, special attention has often been given to small island territories. In the Island Studies, the term Sub-national island jurisdiction (SNIJ) created to refer to special arrangements small islands have, including more significant autonomy, additional resources, etc [20]–[22]

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Conclusion