The Journal of Indonesia Sustainable Development Planning

Transformation toward Indonesia Emas 2045: Some Issues and Challenges

Bakti Setiawan — 2026-04-30

It is quite difficult to actually prepare Editorial Notes which deliver 15 papers selected in this edition. Not only are the fifteen papers very interesting and important, but the variety is also quite wide, ranging from discussions on smart governance, disaster and social capital, waste issues, regional planning, transport management, to public private partnerships (PPP). Through a long reflection, I come to conclude that all of the papers seem to reflect how diverse issues and challenges we face, both on a local, national, and global scale. These issues and challenges are very relevant for us to continue to discuss and find solutions, especially in the framework that this great nation is just in the process of extraordinary transformation, to ensure the achievement of the Indonesia Emas (Golden Indonesia), as stated very clearly and sharply in our Long-Term Development Plan document (RPJMN 2025 – 2045). The following descriptions attempt to underline some of the important issues and challenges we face, as reflected in the fifteen papers in this edition.

Spiritual Values and Social Capital Based Individual Empowerment in the Implementation of Disaster-Resilient Schools

Priyanto — 2026-04-30

Schools are highly vulnerable to disaster risks, making the strengthening of the Disaster Safe School Program (SPAB) essential for developing resilient human resources. However, its implementation remains largely emphasized by technical and structural measures, with limited attention to individuals as active subjects of safety. This study examines how individual empowerment is developed through spiritual values and social capital in a pesantren-based school context using a qualitative case study approach, combining focus group discussions and participatory observation. The findings reveal that empowerment emerges progressively through the internalization of spiritual values, active engagement in disaster- related practices, and the reinforcement of social relationships within the school community. Spiritual values foster a sense of security and moral agency, while social capital sustains participation and collective preparedness. This study contributes to policy by proposing the integration of value-based empowerment indicators and participatory learning mechanisms into SPAB frameworks. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers to shift from compliance-based evaluation toward human-centered disaster education approaches.

E-Government Model Design for Volcano Eruption Disaster Risk Reduction in Agam Regency, West Sumatra

Sucia Angelia Tika — 2026-04-30

The eruption of Mount Marapi in Agam Regency poses a high risk to public safety and requires a responsive and sustainable disaster management system. However, information dissemination and inter-agency coordination remain limited and have not optimally utilized the potential of digital technology in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), particularly for volcanic hazards that are complex and difficult to predict. This study aims to develop an e-government framework for diagnosing volcanic eruption disaster risk reduction and to design an e-government model based on smart governance principles. A multiple-method approach was employed, including a review of existing policies and regulations, a survey of community perceptions, and an assessment of institutional and infrastructure readiness. The findings indicate that the community supports the use of digital technology in disaster management; however, the effectiveness of information systems, training programs, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure remains low. The proposed e-government model consists of six main strategies: (1) regulatory strengthening, (2) digital-based public outreach, (3) stakeholder engagement, (4) technology capacity building, (5) development of integrated information systems, and (6) efficiency in fund management. This model is expected to enhance community preparedness, accelerate emergency response, and improve the efficiency and transparency of volcanic disaster risk governance in Agam Regency.

Enhancing Smart and Adaptive Coastal Living: A Case from Pekalongan Regency

Aprilia Fitri Pamungkas — 2026-04-30

This research analyzes the dimensions influencing the adaptation efforts of communities affected by tidal flooding toward the implementation of Smart and Adaptive Coastal Living in Pekalongan Regency. This study employs a scoring analysis with total of 12 (twelve) indicators from 4 (four) dimensions: infrastructure, connectivity and communication, economic diversification, and marine ecosystem protection. From the score calculations obtained, it is known that the most dominant dimension is economic diversification with an achievement index of 0.541, while the dimension with the lowest contribution is infrastructure with an achievement index of only 0.159. Regarding the achievements in the context of Smart and Adaptive Coastal Living, community adaptation tends to fall into the non-smart adaptive category because the available infrastructure is inadequate and the conditions of the community do not support the presence of smart innovations in the implementation of this concept. Among the twelve existing variables, the highest contributions to achievements at this level arise from the initiatives of coastal communities (K3) and alternative employment (AE). Both indicate a willingness to adapt to a living environment that continuously faces pressures resulting from flood disasters.

Electoral Finance and Ecological Governance: A Theoretical Framework for Institutional Constraint in Resource-Dependent Democracies

Imam Hanafi — 2026-04-29

Contemporary electoral systems in resource-dependent countries face a key problem: elections can produce policies that harm the environment. This creates a tension between democratic legitimacy and ecological sustainability. This study explains how electoral finance influences ecological outcomes by developing the Ecological Constraint–Democratic Subordination (ECDS) framework. It addresses a gap in existing research, which often separates campaign finance from environmental governance. The study uses a qualitative comparative case study of Indonesia, Brazil, and the Philippines. The findings show that electoral finance shapes political incentives, which influence policy decisions through three mechanisms: regulatory forbearance, policy favoritism, and institutional capacity reduction. These processes contribute to environmental degradation across contexts. This study provides a framework that links political finance to environmental governance and shows the need to consider political and institutional factors in addressing environmental problems.

Local Food, Centralized Governance, and the Limits of Policy Localization in Indonesia’s Free Nutritious School Meal Program: Evidence from Sumba

Stepanus Makambombu — 2026-04-29

The Free Nutritious Meal Program (Makan Bergizi Gratis/MBG) seeks to improve schoolchildren’s nutrition while stimulating local economies through the use of local food. However, evidence from Sumba reveals a structural tension between policy localization and centralized governance. Using a qualitative case study across three districts, based on interviews, observation, and document analysis, this study finds that program implementation is driven more by centralized control and political dynamics than by local capacities. As a result, menus remain dominated by rice and market-based commodities, marginalizing locally adaptive savanna foods. This reflects an epistemological disconnection between standardized nutrition frameworks and local food knowledge. While MBG improves short-term attendance and learning readiness, its long-term contribution to local food systems is limited. Policy effectiveness requires concrete reforms: greater local decision-making authority, formal recognition of local food systems in nutritional standards, and integration of local producers into supply chains. Without these, MBG risks reinforcing dependency on external food systems.

From Foundation to Acceleration: An Analysis of Indonesia's Two-Decade PPP Journey

Ade Hendraputra — 2026-04-30

Indonesia faces a substantial infrastructure gap, making Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) critical to address financing challenges. This study discusses Indonesia's PPP framework evolution across two decades (2005-2024), exploring why progress differed markedly between the "foundational decade" (2005-2014) and "acceleration decade" (2015-2024). Using mixed-method explanatory sequential design, we combined PRISMA-compliant Systematic Literature Review of 78 studies with qualitative case analysis of two breakthrough projects—the Central Java Power Plant (PLTU Batang) and the SPAM Umbulan water supply system. Findings challenge the notion that early years represented failure. Rather, post-2015 breakthroughs resulted from targeted land acquisition reforms and institutional maturation of entities like PT PII. Notably, the Viability Gap Fund (VGF) functioned not merely as financial subsidy but as political coordination mechanism among stakeholders. We argue Indonesia's experience exemplifies policy-oriented learning—the foundational decade represented essential investment in "soft infrastructure" enabling later achievements. This evolutionary view offers a roadmap for the institutional development of other emerging economies, particularly regarding the sequencing of regulatory reform and the design of state guarantee mechanisms.

Thermochemical-Mechanical Assessment of Washed and Torrefied Biomass Co-Firing in Boilers for a Sustainable Energy Transition

Hadi Prayitno — 2026-04-30

Despite extensive research on biomass co-firing, gaps remain regarding the combined effects of washing, torrefaction, and analytical indices on emission reduction, slagging, and fouling for heterogeneous Indonesian biomass. This study demonstrates that pre-treatment enhances energy density, improves HHV, and imparts coal-like combustion characteristics, reducing CO₂ by up to 12% and SO₂ by up to 30%, while NOₓ remains fuel-dependent. Washing lowers alkali metals, mitigating slagging and fouling, and torrefaction stabilizes biomass thermally, improving operational reliability. Findings highlight the CO₂-NOₓ trade-off, guiding biomass blend selection and combustion management. This research provides actionable insights for policymakers and energy stakeholders, supporting Indonesia’s renewable energy transition, SDGs, and a scalable pathway toward carbon neutrality by 2060.

Social Capital and Family Planning Indicator in Indonesia: A Fixed Effect Analysis

Alifia Nugrahani Sidhi — 2026-04-30

Despite Indonesia’s family planning initiatives, modern contraceptive use has seen little progress over the past decade. This study investigates how women’s community participation, as a proxy for social capital, influences contraceptive behavior among women of reproductive age in rural and urban areas. Using panel data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) waves 4 and 5, fixed effects regression identifies the causal impact of community engagement. Results show that participation in health-related community groups increases the likelihood of modern contraceptive use by 11.5 percentage points compared to non-participation, while non-health-related activities have no significant effect. No rural–urban differences are observed. Decision-making autonomy and access to accurate contraceptive information strongly predict use, while education shows no consistent effect. These findings highlight the importance of health-related social capital in promoting contraceptive uptake. Policies should strengthen grassroots women’s health networks and integrate them more closely with national reproductive health programs.

Keywords: community participation; Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS); modern contraceptive use; social capital.

Spatial Dynamics and Regional Spillover Effects of Manufacturing GDP Growth in Indonesia

Abdul Azis — 2026-04-30

This study examines the spatial dynamics and regional spillover effects of manufacturing GDP growth across provinces in Indonesia during the period 2019–2023. Regional disparities and uneven industrial development remain critical challenges in achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth, particularly in the context of spatial inequality and structural transformation. Using an Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) approach, including Global Moran’s I, LISA Cluster Map, and spatial visualization, this study identifies patterns of spatial dependence and regional clustering. The results reveal consistent positive spatial autocorrelation, indicating that manufacturing growth is spatially interdependent rather than randomly distributed. The analysis identifies three phases of spatial dynamics: pre-disruption integration, spatial decoupling during economic shocks, and post-pandemic re-convergence. A High–High cluster in Sulawesi indicates the emergence of a new growth pole driven by agglomeration forces and spatial spillover effects, while persistent Low–Low clusters in Papua reflect the presence of spatial low-growth traps. These findings highlight the importance of spatially integrated industrial policies, strengthening interregional connectivity, and addressing structural disparities to support more inclusive and sustainable development. This study contributes to the achievement of SDG 8 and SDG by providing empirical evidence on spatial inequality and regional growth dynamics in Indonesia.

Segmentation of Adult Respondents’ Well-being Profiles Based on Daily Stress, Social Networks, Personal Resources, and Lifestyle Using Clustering Method

Ajang Sopandi — 2026-04-30

Existing literature on the topic of wellbeing mostly utilized scales and methods that are abstract and variable-centered yet assume homogeneity within the population being studied. This research utilizes a person-centered approach to classify the sample of 15,977 adults from a large-scale online survey about their wellbeing according to variables related to their stress, social networks, personal resources, and lifestyle. Factor analysis of mixed data (FAMD) is performed to reduce 22 variables of mixed types to 14 principal components that account for 77.51% of the variance in the data. Using these components, eight segments of well-being are classified by K-Means clustering and validated using Silhouette analysis. These segments range from those with low levels of stress, high levels of meditation, and clear goals for their lives to those with high levels of stress, no sense of accomplishment in their careers, and few social connections outside of work. Interestingly, another variable that was revealed as significantly different within each of the stress levels groups was the notion of whether or not the individual feels like they have enough money to cover their needs. Finally, the methods used in this research can be replicated to evaluate the wellbeing of the general population and to inform the creation of interventions to improve the lives of those with certain types of wellbeing profiles.

Implementation Readiness of RPJPN 2025–2045: Strengthen the Role of Bappenas in Supporting Long‑Term Development Planning

Budi Cahyono — 2026-04-29

Bappenas readiness plays a central role in supporting the implementation of RPJPN 2025–2045. This study examines institutional readiness by assessing human resource capacity, coordination, regulatory support, data systems, and policy continuity. A mixed-method approach is applied, combining surveys of planners with in-depth interviews. The findings show that planners understand long-term development goals and are able to translate them into annual programs. However, key challenges still remain in coordination between sectors, data integration, and maintaining program continuity across government periods. These gaps limit effective monitoring, reduce program impact, and weaken alignment between planning and implementation. The study highlights the need to strengthen coordination mechanisms, integrate data systems, and align performance evaluation with long-term targets. These improvements are essential not only for Bappenas, but also for strengthening national planning systems and ensuring that long-term development goals can be implemented and benefit the countries in the future.

Models of Research Collaboration to Support the Self-Reliance of Indonesia’s Pharmaceutical Industry

Brian Pratistha — 2026-04-30

Promoting a self-reliant pharmaceutical industry constitutes one of the national strategic agendas. The government undertakes efforts toward self-sufficiency to strengthen health resilience and advance Indonesia’s economic transformation. This policy paper aims to formulate an integrated research collaboration model designed to enhance research and development capacity, increase domestic production capability, and reduce dependence on imported pharmaceutical raw materials and products. The research methodology encompasses an analysis of relevant policies and regulations, a comparative study of three countries considered to have more advanced pharmaceutical sectors, and a mapping of key actors and interaction mechanisms within the pharmaceutical research and innovation ecosystem. The problem identification findings indicate that current challenges include limited inter-institutional coordination, weak technology transfer mechanisms, and the suboptimal alignment between research funding and incentives with industry needs. This policy paper further finds that a primary prerequisite for mission-oriented research collaboration is the presence of a jointly agreed strategic vision among stakeholders, supported by collaborative funding schemes and adaptive intellectual property governance arrangements. The resulting policy recommendations emphasize the need to strengthen the role of the state as an orchestrator of collaboration and to ensure closer integration between research initiatives and pharmaceutical industrialization policies.

Analysis of Transjakarta Bus Fare Adjustment Based on the Ability to Pay (ATP) Method

Gema Krisni Indra Perdana — 2026-04-29

TransJakarta's (TJ) fixed fare policy of Rp 3,500, supported by subsidies from the Jakarta Provincial Government (PSO), has kept public transportation fares in Jakarta affordable for the public. However, this policy has also gradually worsened the finances of the Jakarta’s Provincial Government and TJ's own going concern. This study analyzes various fare schemes by comparing users' Ability to Pay (ATP), user travel behavior by survey, and ticket revenue implications to encourage the formulation of new regulations by the Governor of DKI Jakarta on sustainable fares. This analysis uses primary data from the 2023 TransJakarta User Mobility Survey, supplemented by data from the 2021–2022 National Socioeconomic Survey (SUSENAS) and origin-destination (OD) analysis based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The methodology used in this study is the Travel Cost Method calculation, which calculates user ATP with the assumption that 10% of household income is spent on transportation. The average travel distance per trip per day is 11.7 km, resulting in an ATP value of Rp 1,237/km. Based on the analysis, the most balanced outcome of the tested scenarios was found to be a tiered fare system based on distance, with a fare of Rp 4,000 for the first 10 km, Rp 416 for each additional kilometer, and a maximum of Rp 14,477. This system increases ticket revenue while maintaining fair and reasonable prices. The study emphasizes the importance of gradual adoption and ongoing monitoring to ensure effective and equitable fare reform.

From Hormuz to Halmahera: Geopolitical Risk Transmission and Indonesia’s Energy–Food–Industry Nexus

Hanan Nugroho — 2026-04-29

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East—particularly the confrontation between the United States and Iran—continue to exert a profound influence on global energy markets and broader macroeconomic stability. In an increasingly interconnected economy like Indonesia's, these dynamics generate cascading risks that extend beyond the energy sector, affecting food systems and industrial development. This commentary examines how potential disruptions in global oil supply, especially through strategic chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, may transmit shocks to Indonesia’s energy security, food security, and nickel-based industrialization trajectory. Adopting an energy–food–industry nexus perspective, the paper demonstrates how external geopolitical shocks can propagate across interdependent sectors, thereby amplifying systemic vulnerabilities. While Indonesia’s expanding role in the global nickel value chain presents significant opportunities for downstream industrialization, persistent structural constraints remain, particularly due to dependence on imported energy inputs and exposure to global supply chain volatility. By integrating insights from energy geopolitics, industrial policy, and food security analysis, this paper offers a more comprehensive understanding of Indonesia’s development challenges in a turbulent global context. It concludes that strengthening national resilience requires a coordinated and forward-looking strategy, centered on energy diversification, the stabilization of food systems, and deeper industrial upgrading, in order to support a more robust and sustainable long-term development trajectory.

Beyond the Exodus: A Critical Review of "The Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems"

Komang Ariyanto — 2026-04-30

This review examines the book The Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 2025). The book shifts the common narrative that portrays youth as leaving agriculture toward a more nuanced perspective that highlights young people who actively participate in agrifood systems but face structural constraints. Rather than attributing declining youth engagement to lack of interest, the book emphasizes systemic barriers such as limited land access, financial constraints, labor market conditions, and institutional policies. This framing situates youth not as a problem but as strategic actors in sustainable agrifood transformation.