Worsening ecological damage in the Mount Bulu Bawakaraeng area, Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi, has sparked deep concern. Several circles assess that this environmental crisis is not merely the impact of common natural phenomena or individual negligence, but rather a reflection of a systemic failure by the authorities in protecting and managing this strategic area.
Legally, natural resource management in Indonesia is strictly regulated under Article 33 Paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution, which mandates the state to control and manage natural wealth for the greatest prosperity of the people. However, the reality on the ground shows a wide gap between the constitutional mandate and environmental governance practices, which are deemed to ignore sustainability principles for short-term interests.
Mount Bulu Bawakaraeng plays a crucial role as the primary water catchment area supporting the clean water needs of millions of residents in Gowa Regency and Makassar City. The degradation occurring in this upstream area directly threatens the water supply and multiplies the risk of hydrometeorological disasters, such as flash floods and landslides, endangering downstream communities.
Weak oversight of land-use conversion and minimal waste management from tourism activities are blamed as the main drivers of the ecosystem's degradation. Therefore, concrete and collaborative actions from the government and relevant agencies are required to reform environmental management policies, aiming to save this vital life-support zone from further destruction.
