Linking Up Degrowth in/From the South With Provincialised UPE: Mangrove and Groundwater Conservations in Semarang, Indonesia

Abstract

This article brings degrowth into conversation with urbanisation through our analysis of environmental transformations in the coastal Southern city of Semarang, Indonesia. We analyse two collective activisms to build a theoretical dialogue between degrowth and provincialised urban political ecology (UPE). The first activism contests the ongoing development of pro-growth giant flood infrastructure and is politically rooted in mangrove ecosystem conservation. The second activism conserves groundwater. We identify mangrove and groundwater conservations as spatial practices of degrowth in/from the south. We make connections between the two scholarships and activisms to expand their political and pragmatic possibilities and, therefore, open space for more hopeful alternatives for the city's future.