A Historical Analysis of Environmental Improvement Policies in the Coastal Areas of the Pekalongan Residency During the Dutch Colonial Period

Abstract

The coastal region of the Pekalongan Residency constituted a strategic area within the transportation and industrial network of the Dutch East Indies. In the early twentieth century, modern factories operated in this region and were integrated with transportation infrastructures such as railway lines and the Pantura (North Coast) highway. Despite these developments, the coastal areas of the Pekalongan Residency experienced significant environmental problems, which prompted the colonial government to implement various policies aimed at mitigating environmental degradation. However, from a historical perspective, these environmental issues have received relatively limited scholarly attention. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to analyze environmental improvement policies in the coastal areas of the Pekalongan Residency during the Dutch colonial period. This research employs the historical method combined with a political ecology approach. Primary sources include official government publications, newspaper reports, and colonial-era maps. The findings indicate that the coastal environmental landscape of the Pekalongan Residency played a crucial role in supporting the economic activities of coastal communities. Nevertheless, intensive industrial activities contributed to environmental degradation, which in turn affected multiple aspects of social and economic life. In response, the colonial government periodically introduced environmental improvement policies, both preventive and corrective in nature. Overall, these measures were not fully effective, largely due to the exploitative character of the colonial system.