Indonesia's Challenges and Chances to Develop Natural Resources Through Youth Perspective

Abstract

Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. It consists of five major islands and about 30 smaller groupings. Indonesia has many fertile lands and is rich in natural resources including, forestry products, agricultural products, rubber, coffee, tea, tin, nickel, copper, oil, gas, palm products and fish. Based on these resources, it can be assumed that Indonesia is a wealthy country with a large income thanks to these natural resources. But, in reality, there are still many problems in Indonesia in regards to the developments of this country. Who can imagine that Indonesia, a country which has so many natural resources, can also be a country which lacks energy? The lack of energy access is one of the most pressing issues of this country. To expand energy access especially to rural areas, the government should look at the countrys infrastructures. The government has, however, put infrastructure as a top priority on its agenda in order to accelerate economic growth. In 2011, only 2.1 percent of the country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was reserved for infrastructure. In comparison, India and China spend almost 10% from GDP to invest in their infrastructure. To address the problem about energy scarcity, one action that can be taken is to enact an energy saving movement or program, either from behavior changes, or saving energy and the use of environmentally friendly technology utilization. As well as taking action on the demand side, the government could take action on the supply side by providing more support for renewable energy, such as through tax incentives. The Indonesia government must also encourage the public to adopt energy efficiency and conservation measures through public campaigns and economic incentives. It is also necessary to endorse efficient and clean energy use for both commercial and industrial sectors. Indonesia possesses a variety of renewable energy resources, including geothermal, solar, micro-hydro, wind and bio-energy. The whole explanation of the problem and solution development in Indonesia is very important to be fixed in order to support sustainable development in Indonesia, especially to increase the economy of Indonesia. As young generation, it is a mandatory to be aware of these global issues, and we do believe that Indonesia can be a developed country in the near future.