When Emil Salim Brings the Environment to the Heart of Development
The basic idea is simple, but important: damage must be predicted before it occurs.
Don't wait for rivers to be polluted to think about waste. Don't wait for residents to lose their living space to discuss social impacts. Don't wait for the forest to run out before calculating the ecological losses.
The AMDAL should be a tool for testing a plan, not just a pile of documents that is saved after a permit is issued.
Along the way, these dreams do not always come true. AMDAL is often criticized for turning into an administrative formality. There are documents that were prepared without adequate community participation. There are also recommendations that are good on paper, but weak in field monitoring.
This criticism remains relevant today. However, the weakness of implementation does not erase the importance of the foundations built at that time.
AMDAL introduces a fundamental principle: the owner of the activity must not only enjoy economic benefits, while the environmental impact is borne by the community.
The Environment Is Not a Cleaner
Emil Salim doesn't want environmental agencies to just be officers who come after the damage has occurred.
If a river has been polluted, a forest has been cleared, or a village has been submerged due to changes in the landscape, the costs of restoration are much greater. In many cases, things cannot even be returned to normal.
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