Institutional Barriers of Low Carbon Development Planning in Indonesian Small Cities

Abstract

Recently, building low carbon development pathway becomes a mandatory task for many big cities through spatial planning. For a small city that still has many green areas, it assumed that the mainstreaming process of low carbon development into spatial planning is easier. However, studies that explore planning challenges of small cities in building a pathway of low carbon development is still limited. This study aims to examine the mainstreaming process of low carbon development strategies into the spatial planning through three case studies of Indonesian small cities. The quantitative and qualitative data collected from the fieldwork in three small cities: Kasongan, fromJuneto December 2010; Merauke, fromJuneto December 2011; and Sendawar, from January to June 2013. We argue that the small cities, which assumed have main potential carbon storage, in fact, have also the extensive carbon emission. They have the institutional barriers, including the limited knowledge on the economic opportunities of low carbon development, the lack of technicalcapacity of local government in implementing low carbon planning process, and the inadequate data to support the planning method. The leadership of Mayor is crucial in opening the barriers, but not to create the pathway yet. Therefore, we suggest that providing technical support of low carbon development, strengthening institutional capacity, and empowering the local community would optimize the mainstreaming process.