Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – A proper paradigm is needed to develop Indonesia, a vast and diverse nation. This paradigm must involve the community to ensure direct and meaningful impacts on local populations.
“Involving the community also opens opportunities for them to be creative and innovative according to their local conditions,” said Tri Mumpuni, a member of the Supervisory Board of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), in a discussion organized by the Centre for Technology and Innovation Studies (CTIS) in Jakarta on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Tri Mumpuni is known as a pioneer in micro-hydro electricity empowerment in more than 60 remote locations across Indonesia.
She explained that since Indonesia’s independence, the country’s God-given natural resources have not yet been fully utilized to bring prosperity to its people. “For instance, flooding occurs everywhere. People know an area is a river basin, yet they fill it in. Places where marine life should thrive are fenced off,” she said.
For this reason, the development paradigm should follow an archipelago perspective—an approach that considers the diversity of culture, ecosystems, and the complexity of island territories. “Right now, we still use a continental paradigm, which emphasizes uniformity, even when uniformity isn’t necessary. Through the archipelago perspective, even small communities with unique characteristics can thrive, with the ultimate goal of bringing prosperity to the people,” Tri Mumpuni explained.
According to her, the biggest mistake made by the government is never giving people the opportunity to manage their own affairs. “Everything is controlled by the state, leading to centralization,” she noted. She also highlighted the issue of unequal electricity distribution in Indonesia, where many regions remain in darkness because they rely solely on state-owned electricity company PLN. Since PLN operates under central government policies, many villages are left without power.
“The focus is always on maximizing economic growth. But in development, what should matter is people’s happiness—how they can carry out their daily activities with ease. This is where techno-anthropology comes into play—bringing technology closer to the people’s needs so that it truly improves their lives,” she explained.
She added, “This is because our education system today only emphasizes academic achievement without incorporating logic, empathy, or emotional intelligence.”
Therefore, she stressed that education should not only enhance intelligence but also nurture emotional awareness. It should not be limited to cognitive learning, as is currently the case. Students should focus not just on the learning process but also on its outcomes.
As a recipient of the Ashden Award and the Ramon Magsaysay Award from the Philippines, Tri Mumpuni has applied the concept of techno-anthropology in developing Indonesian communities. She has worked with local communities to build Micro Hydro Power Plants (PLTMH), which have gained recognition both domestically and internationally. More than 60 villages have benefited from this technology, bringing light to communities that had endured years of darkness. As a result, villages and roads are now illuminated, boosting people’s enthusiasm for their daily activities.
Some of these PLTMH projects include those in Gayo Lues, Aceh (established in 2008 and still operational today), as well as in Sumba and Papua, where community-based micro-hydro projects have been implemented. “Everyone is involved in building and maintaining these projects. This is a paradigm of fair and inclusive development, as it directly involves the people and benefits them,” she said.
Alongside infrastructure projects, Tri Mumpuni also mentors young people, preparing them to become pioneers and champions in their local areas through the Patriot Desa program. These youths, previously focused solely on academic learning, are introduced to empathy and social awareness.
She cited Rumah Mocaf in Banjarnegara, Central Java, as an example. Founded by graduates from Universitas Gadjah Mada, this initiative focuses on cassava farming and downstream processing, turning cassava into mocaf flour as an alternative to wheat flour. The product is now being exported, creating jobs for the local community. Previously, cassava was valued at only IDR 800 per kilogram, but thanks to mocaf processing, its price has increased.
In Yogyakarta, young entrepreneurs established Agradaya, empowering local farmers. Agradaya taught ginger farmers a simple but effective business model. Selling unwashed ginger (with soil still attached) fetched only IDR 35,000 per kilogram, while cleaned and sliced ginger sold for IDR 65,000 per kilogram. When processed into ginger powder, the price jumped to IDR 300,000 per kilogram. “This concept cannot be implemented through bureaucracy. That’s why we need to trust young entrepreneurs,” she emphasized.
Another example is a candlenut factory in Yogyakarta, built in 2015. The factory exports peeled candlenuts to Saudi Arabia using a simple yet effective technology. Raw candlenuts from East Nusa Tenggara are frozen, making it easier to remove their shells while keeping the nuts intact. “One container shipment is valued at IDR 2.3 billion. Saudi Arabia requires 23 tons per batch. Yogyakarta ships two containers at a time, totaling IDR 4.6 billion per shipment—just from candlenuts,” she explained.
Indonesia, as a spice-producing country, has vast export opportunities beyond candlenuts. In Salatiga, the Indonesian Innovation Academy was established, offering tuition-free education. This academy applies a teaching factory and project-based learning curriculum, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in industries. Many of its graduates now produce export-quality goods, primarily for the Chinese market, while also creating jobs.
Tri Mumpuni highlighted the importance of increasing Indonesia’s industrial capacity. “Indonesia has only around 10,000 Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines, whereas Singapore has 99,000. With this academy, villages using CNC technology will increase, boosting productivity through Industry 4.0.”
She stressed the importance of techno-anthropology, a modern socio-business approach to community-based development. “We must understand local initiatives. Development must be based on the community. The local population will appreciate and support development if it empowers them and aligns with their needs,” she explained.
This approach fosters local capacity and local equity. Until now, communities have merely been spectators in development. Investment has primarily been controlled by the elite, while ordinary people have been left out. “We need development that respects local wisdom. This will enhance local capabilities and capacities. I call this the tree of empowerment—wherever there are local resources, there will be local contributions. This happens when the people themselves are motivated and creative,” she concluded.
