LINTAS SUMBAWA-FLORES - Ekspedisi Indonesia Biru #20

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3 Feb 201709:48

Summary

TLDRThe video script explores the traditional land reclamation of the Bajo people on Bungin Island, Sumbawa, and their transition from sea gypsies to settlers. It follows a film editing journey in Dompu, Bali, and captures traditional horse racing with jockeys in Sumbawa and Sumba. The script also highlights the UNESCO World Heritage site, Komodo National Park, attracting thousands of tourists annually with its rich marine biodiversity. Despite government efforts to promote tourism, the region still faces poverty and underdevelopment. The script concludes with a look at traditional farming practices in Manggarai and efforts in Sumba to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and develop alternative energy sources.

Takeaways

🌊 The Bajo people, once known as sea nomads, have settled on Bungin Island in Sumbawa by using traditional reclamation methods.
🏇 Child jockey horse racing is still practiced in Sumbawa, Sumba, and Gayo Highlands in Aceh.
🎬 The team worked on a film about the reclamation of Benoa Bay in Bali and continued editing it while exploring Sumbawa.
🐉 Labuan Bajo in West Manggarai, Flores, is the gateway to Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2015.
📈 The Indonesian government aims to increase tourist visits to Komodo National Park to 500,000 by 2019, investing heavily in infrastructure.
🐟 The region's underwater attractions, including 1,000 species of fish and 260 types of coral, make it one of the best snorkeling destinations, according to a 2015 CNN survey.
🏞️ Despite heavy investment, only 24% of households in West Manggarai have access to clean water, highlighting ongoing development challenges.
💧 East Manggarai’s Lingko Cara rice fields are known for their traditional spider-web-shaped plots, reflecting family size and social status.
🪨 Megalithic heritage is still visible in traditional villages like Ruteng Puu in East Manggarai, with stone tombs for ancestors.
🌾 A community in Sumba Island is working on reducing dependence on factory-made fertilizers and developing alternative energy sources.

Q & A

Who are the Bajo people mentioned in the transcript?
-The Bajo people, historically known as sea nomads, have now settled and built permanent settlements using traditional reclamation methods, as described in the transcript.
What is the significance of Pulau Bungin in Sumbawa?
-Pulau Bungin in Sumbawa is notable for its traditional land reclamation techniques used by the Bajo people to build their settlements.
What event involving children is highlighted in Sumbawa?
-The transcript highlights horse races in Sumbawa that feature child jockeys, a traditional practice also found in other parts of Indonesia, such as Sumba and Aceh.
What is the role of the Komodo National Park in tourism?
-Komodo National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and serves as a major tourist destination, drawing visitors with attractions like the Komodo dragon, beautiful islands, and world-renowned underwater experiences.
How has the government supported tourism in Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park?
-The government has invested heavily in promoting Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park, with initiatives such as the 'Komodo Sale' in 2013, a budget of Rp 3.7 trillion, and a plan to expand infrastructure like airports and ports.
What is the expected economic impact of tourism development in Labuan Bajo?
-The government aims to increase the number of visitors fivefold by 2019, with the hope that tourism will generate up to Rp 20 trillion in revenue, benefiting the local economy.
What are some challenges faced by the residents of Manggarai Barat despite tourism growth?
-Despite the tourism boom, only 24% of homes in Manggarai Barat have access to clean water, and the region remains on the list of underdeveloped areas. Additionally, 17% of the population lives below the poverty line.
What is the Lingko system in Manggarai Timur?
-The Lingko system in Manggarai Timur is a traditional method of land division based on family size and social status, symbolized by a spiderweb-like pattern in rice fields.
What does the transcript reveal about Flores' megalithic heritage?
-In Ruteng Puu, Manggarai Timur, Flores, megalithic structures are still visible, particularly in the form of ancestral burial sites marked by stone arrangements in traditional villages.
How are some residents of Sumba reducing their dependence on synthetic fertilizers?
-On the island of Sumba, some residents are moving away from using synthetic fertilizers and are developing alternative energy sources, as mentioned in the transcript.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Traditional Sea Reclamation and Local Customs

The paragraph discusses the traditional reclamation methods used by the Bajo people of Bungin Island, Sumbawa, who were once known as sea nomads. It highlights how these practices are adapted to meet the community's needs. The narrator also reflects on their journey to Dompu for film editing, which includes a side event of watching children's horse racing in Sumbawa. This practice is also prevalent in Sumba and Gayo, where child jockeys participate in races, an important local tradition.

05:00

🌍 Exploring Komodo National Park and Its Economic Impact

This paragraph focuses on the journey to Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park, known for its Komodo dragons and underwater biodiversity, is a major tourist destination. Despite government efforts to promote tourism, with substantial investments in infrastructure like airport and harbor expansions, the surrounding Manggarai Barat region remains underdeveloped, with only 24% of households having access to clean water. The area is still marked by high poverty rates, raising questions about the local economic benefits of tourism.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Pulau Bungin

Pulau Bungin is an island in the Sumbawa Regency, Indonesia, where the Bajo people, historically known as sea nomads, have settled and built traditional reclamation systems. The island highlights how local communities adapt to land limitations by creating new spaces through traditional methods. This place is an example of sustainable community living discussed in the video.

💡Bajo people

The Bajo people, also referred to as sea nomads, were once known for their itinerant lifestyles, living on boats and constantly moving across the sea. In the video, they are shown settling on Pulau Bungin and creating permanent homes using traditional land reclamation methods, symbolizing a transition from their nomadic past to a more stationary lifestyle.

💡Reclamation

Reclamation refers to the process of creating new land from oceans, riverbeds, or other bodies of water. In the context of Pulau Bungin, the Bajo people use traditional reclamation techniques to expand their settlement on the island. This concept illustrates human innovation in response to environmental challenges like limited land.

💡Teluk Benoa

Teluk Benoa is a bay located in Bali, Indonesia, that is mentioned in the video in relation to film editing about a reclamation project there. The reclamation of Teluk Benoa is a controversial topic in Indonesia, as it involves balancing economic development with environmental protection, similar to the themes seen in Pulau Bungin.

💡Joki Cilik

Joki Cilik refers to child jockeys, who are featured in traditional horse races in Sumbawa and other regions in Indonesia. The practice of using child jockeys, while part of local tradition, raises issues of child labor and safety, showing the complexities of maintaining cultural customs in modern times.

💡Taman Nasional Komodo

Taman Nasional Komodo (Komodo National Park) is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Flores region of Indonesia. It is home to the Komodo dragon and is a major tourist attraction. The video discusses the government's efforts to promote tourism in this area while also highlighting the limited benefits that reach the local population, emphasizing the gap between development and local welfare.

💡Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo is a gateway town on the island of Flores, often used by tourists to access Komodo National Park. The video mentions this town as a key part of the government’s tourism strategy, but it also draws attention to the region's underdevelopment and the struggles of local residents despite increased tourism.

💡Reptil Purba

Reptil Purba refers to the Komodo dragon, a prehistoric reptile that is a key attraction in Komodo National Park. The video emphasizes this creature’s role in attracting international tourists to the region, contributing to the economic focus on ecotourism.

💡Lodok system

The Lodok system, or spider-web rice fields, is a traditional agricultural system used by the Manggarai people in Flores. It involves dividing land based on family size and social status. The video highlights this system as an example of how local traditions continue to shape land use and agriculture.

💡Megalitikum

Megalitikum refers to megalithic structures, such as stone tombs, that are part of the cultural heritage in Ruteng Puu, Flores. These ancient monuments symbolize the long-standing cultural traditions of the region, serving as a connection between the past and present for the local communities.

Highlights

People of Bajo, once known as sea nomads, are now settling and building traditional settlements through land reclamation.

The journey to Dompu city for film editing of Benoa Bay, while waiting, they watch traditional horse racing with jockeys.

Horse racing with child jockeys is also a tradition in West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, and the highlands of Gayo in Aceh.

The film about Benoa Bay reclamation is completed and uploaded to the internet.

Continuing the journey to Labuhan Bajo in West Manggarai, the gateway to the Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In 2015, the area was visited by at least 95,000 foreign tourists, with the government targeting a fivefold increase to 500 million visitors by 2019.

The main attraction of Komodo National Park is the ancient reptile, the Komodo dragon, and the exotic 170 islands with excellent snorkeling spots.

According to a 2015 CNN survey, the area is one of the best snorkeling destinations in the world, with around 1,000 fish species and 260 coral species.

The government has invested heavily in promoting this tourist area, including the 'Komodo Sales' campaign in 2013 with a budget of Rp3.7 trillion.

The next step is to make Labuhan Bajo and Komodo National Park one of the top 10 national tourism destinations, aiming to generate up to Rp20 trillion in foreign exchange.

It is estimated that to achieve this, an investment of Rp5.6 trillion is needed, including infrastructure, transportation, electricity, and fuel.

The impact of tourism development on the economy and society is discussed, highlighting that only 24% of homes in West Manggarai have access to clean water.

Despite being a UNESCO World Heritage site for nearly 30 years, West Manggarai is still listed as one of the most underdeveloped areas.

17% of the population in Flores is considered poor, which is above the national average poverty rate of 13%.

The journey continues to a traditional village in Ruteng Puu, East Manggarai, where megalithic remains are still visible.

In Ruteng Puu, the village layout is a testament to the ancient megalithic culture, with stone arrangements signifying ancestral graves.

The journey then moves to a traditional village in Cancar, East Manggarai, to see a unique agricultural system known as 'lingkocara'.

Lingkocara is a traditional agricultural system that divides land based on family size and social status.

The final destination is Sumba Island, where efforts are being made to reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers and develop alternative energy sources.