Roads for Communities, Not Commodities: A Qualitative Study of the Consequences of Road Development in Papua, Indonesia

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the impact of improved road infrastructure on the livelihoods of indigenous Papuans in Indonesia. Using field-based investigations in two Trans-Papua road corridors in two provinces, and interviews with 110 informants, the findings show that while roads provide greater access for indigenous Papuans to local markets and to basic health and education services, they also increase access to consumable goods, increasing economic inequality and tensions between indigenous and migrant groups. The findings also confirm negative environmental impacts of these Trans-Papua roads, due to a rise in consumption of natural resources. The study suggests that the government needs to reconsider the focus of its infrastructure development strategies in Papua, from accelerating economic growth (“commodities”) to improving the livelihood and access of indigenous Papuans to basic services (“communities”).