Human Rights and Environmental Protection: Case Studies from Indonesia

¹ Faculty of Law, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia, Research Fellow, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
² Faculty of Law, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: iwansatriawan@umy.ac.id

Abstract

This paper examines the interconnection between human rights and environmental protection through selected case studies in Indonesia. Despite national and international legal frameworks guaranteeing the right to a healthy environment, implementation at the local level remains highly problematic. Cases such as the Citarum River pollution, deforestation in Merauke, nickel mining in North Konawe, and the sand mining conflict in Lumajang illustrate how infringements often accompany environmental rights violations on civil, economic, and cultural rights. The article highlights the lack of public participation, limited access to justice, and insufficient protection for environmental defenders as central issues within Indonesia’s human rights protection system. Through a normative and qualitative approach, this study emphasizes the urgent need for policy and institutional reform and for integrating ecological justice and human rights principles into all decision-making processes involving natural resources and environmental governance.