Living space and the struggle against geothermal energy projects in Flores,Indonesia

Abstract

Framed as part of the country's green energy transition, the Indonesian government declared Flores a “Geothermal Island” in 2017. However, geothermal projects have provoked strong opposition due to concerns about risks of water and air pollution, lethal accidents, and loss of livelihoods. This article examines how two Manggarai communities on Flores have struggled against geothermal development by mobilizing around the defense of ruang hidup or “living space,” a term that expresses the inseparable unity of homes, fields, water sources, and ritual sites - that is, of land, community, and ancestors. Although indigeneity is a contested category in Indonesia, these communities have strategically positioned themselves as indigenous through their articulation of ruang hidup in relation to the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). These articulations, rooted in local practices of dwelling and place-making, and expressed through acts of translation that enable the scaling up of their claims, have led to temporary halts in projects funded by the World Bank and German Development Bank. The article contributes to geographies of indigeneity and decarbonization by showing how the contingent articulation and translations of living space have reshaped the meaning and implementation of geothermal energy projects.