Spiritual Dimensions of Local Knowledge in Forest Conservation: An Integrative Deep Ecology-Ecospirituality Framework for Alternative Environmental Governance
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local knowledge, ecospirituality, deep ecology, prohibited forest, environtmental governance
Abstract
Contemporary forest governance, dominated by commodification-driven paradigms, has accelerated deforestation and marginalized local knowledge systems. While political ecology increasingly recognizes indigenous knowledge, the spiritual dimensions of forest conservation remain theoretically and empirically underexplored. Drawing on deep ecology and ecospirituality, this study examines how the spiritual dimensions of local knowledge legitimize forest conservation and develops an integrative framework as an alternative model of environmental governance. Using a comparative case design with qualitative methods, we studied two prohibited forests: Dusun Buhuk (South Sumatra) and Bukit Tabun (Bangka Belitung). Data came from in-depth interviews with 45 informants, eight months of participant observation, and satellite imagery analysis (2000–2023), examined through thematic analysis and cross-case comparison. We identify three spiritual mechanisms: spiritual ontology, which constructs forests as sentient entities with ancestral presence; spiritual authority, which generates governance legitimacy; and spiritual sanctions, which produce internalized compliance through supernatural punishment. Both sites preserved 98–100% of forest cover over 23 years, whereas formally protected areas lost 0.5–2% annually. Locally rooted spiritual values thus offer practical, self-enforcing governance that sustains biodiversity and social cohesion while adapting to external pressures. These findings counter state-centric paradigms and underscore the need to integrate spiritual values into conservation policy.
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