Dilemma of through passing forest roads in Gorontalo : should we stop the development for the sake of sustainability?

Gorontalo is facing a dilemma. This new province proposes new roads to connect primary arterials in this area. These seem to be built through tropical rain forests which are protected. These roads are considered to be important as backbones in improving district accessibility from a number sub-districts to the center of the districts as well as providing access for remote areas in the province. From a number of experiences in Indonesia, developing these roads can put a considerable risk to the sustainability of the forest, large operational and maintenance costs, and insignificant economic outcomes. Some initial public hearings have been conducted which resulted a strong call for development of these proposed roads. This paper assesses the impact of such road projects by considering any potential problems, legal aspects, outcomes and alternative implementation of the proposal. A comparative study was conducted to give an overview of the problems. It reveals a number of alternative measures including enhancing public participation in environmental management of the proposed road projects. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E208431.