Waste Struggle: Political Ecology Analysis on Urban Waste Conflict in Pekanbaru

Lancang Kuning University, Graduate School of Environmental Sciences, School of Graduate Studies, 28261 Pekanbaru, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: rawapasca@unilak.ac.id

Abstract

This article analyzes waste management conflict in Pekanbaru through the perspectives of political ecology and Actor-Network Theory (ANT). Based on rapid ethnographic research conducted in West Tangkerang Village, Marpoyan Damai District, the findings reveal that conflicts emerge from unequal distributions of impacts and benefits, shaped by the interactions of formal and informal actors who construct power networks over waste-disposal spaces. The study identifies three competing actor groups involved in waste resource struggles: dominant actors, resistance actors, and pragmatic actors. Dominant actors label informal disposal sites as "illegal," framing resistance actors as the source of disorder and diverting attention from inter-actor disputes toward residents who are portrayed as indifferent or uncooperative. This paper demonstrates how these so-called illegal disposals points arise as forms of adaptation and resistance to inequitable formal systems. The contribution of this article lies in integrating Ecological Distribution Conflicts (EDC) and Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to explain urban environmental conflicts while offering a more participatory and equitable policy orientation. The study underscores that aligning urban waste-management practices with principles of social and economic justice is crucial for advancing global sustainability goals.