Rural Livelihoods, Resources and Coping with Crisis in Indonesia: A Comparative Study

Most literature on the economic crisis in Indonesia has focused on the negative macro-economic impacts during the "crisis-years" (1997-1999). With a longitudinal research perspective, this comparative study analyses a wide variety of responses to the crisis among communities and households. They often contradict the pessimistic assumptions of communities'/households' capacities to cope with crisis conditions. Covering different areas of Indonesia, variations in resource use practices and resource use regulations define the way rural households can cope with crisis conditions and adapt to new circumstances. The studies show that coping and adaptive behaviour increasingly depends on the ways people are able to tap into supra local networks, even beyond national boundaries. However, without sound interventions, the long-term perspective is one where sustainable resource use systems slowly deteriorate as local resource use regulations are overruled by processes of internationalization. The book thus may contribute to the development of more effective policies for increasing resilience among rural communities to withstand crisis conditions.