Ecological politics of water: the ramifications of tourism development in Yogyakarta

In Yogyakarta, Indonesia, development in the tourism industry impacts the lives of local residents. Hotels, built in increasing numbers and grandiosity, place ever greater stress on a resource-dependent community with a declining water supply. Inevitably, conflict has arisen between locals and hotel corporations, with the local government playing the critical role of finding political solutions to the sustainability of residents’ daily lives and an active tourism sector. This study seeks to analyse the existing ecological politics of water as applied by the Yogyakarta government, and in particular to examine three questions: how water is used for daily consumption and tourism activities, what strategies the government has employed in authorizing the use of water, and how it controls water use while serving the public interest. Our findings show that residents and hotels differed in their usage of water. Hotels were found to violate several regulations regarding the sourcing of water and sustainable construction practices. Although the government has attempted to address the issue of water availability, its measures have not been carried out with the necessary forcefulness. As such, the government has not displayed the power to impose the rewards and punishments commonly delivered by governments that engage in ecological politics.