Eighteen Years Under the Shadow of Mining: Environmental Justice and Citizens’ Rights in Rantau Bakula, South Kalimantan

Abstract

Long-term conflicts between local communities and extractive industries reveal that environmental injustice is not only a consequence of isolated incidents but can become a prolonged condition of everyday life. This article examines the eighteen-year experience of residents in Rantau Bakula, South Kalimantan, in relation to coal mining and its social and environmental consequences. The study focuses on residents’ claims concerning environmental degradation, disruption of livelihoods, access to a healthy environment, and the limited effectiveness of available mechanisms for obtaining justice. By examining the community’s efforts to bring its grievances to state institutions, including legislative and human rights bodies, the article explores the relationship between environmental harm and institutional accountability. The Rantau Bakula case demonstrates how prolonged exposure to environmental risks can produce cumulative forms of vulnerability while simultaneously creating fatigue, uncertainty, and unequal access to legal and political remedies. The article employs an environmental-justice framework to examine distributive, procedural, and recognition dimensions of the conflict. It argues that environmental justice cannot be reduced to compensation after damage occurs. It also requires meaningful participation, effective grievance mechanisms, institutional accountability, and recognition of citizens’ rights to a safe and healthy environment. The case illustrates the structural challenges faced by communities confronting powerful extractive interests over extended periods.