Collaborative Environmental Governance under Power Asymmetry and Institutional Fragmentation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26905/pjiap.v11i2.17111Keywords:
Collaborative environmental governance, Institutional fragmentation, Policy implementation, Power asymmetry, Pseudo-collaborationAbstract
This study examines collaborative environmental governance in the rescue of Lake Limboto, Indonesia, with particular attention to collaborative dynamics, power asymmetry, and institutional fragmentation. Using a qualitative intrinsic case-study design, the study generated data through in-depth interviews, policy and planning document analysis, and contextual observation. Informants were selected purposively from government institutions, community groups, civil society organizations, and academia based on their direct involvement in, knowledge of, or experience with Lake Limboto governance. The study included 17 informants, and the research period spanned February to December 2025. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis, with themes developed around dialogue, trust and commitment, sources of power, institutional coordination, and collaborative outcomes. The findings indicate that formal multi-actor forums coexist with limited substantive deliberation, weak trust and inconsistent commitment, unequal influence over policy agendas and resources, and fragmented institutional arrangements. These interacting conditions produce a pattern termed pseudo-collaboration: collaboration that is procedurally present but does not consistently generate equitable decision-making, integrated implementation, or sustained policy outcomes. The study offers a context-specific synthesis showing how relational and institutional conditions combine to weaken collaborative environmental governance in a critical lake setting.
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