Luthfi Eddyono, participated in the symposium “Environmental Research across Asia: Politics, Justice and Accountability”, held on 14 April 2026 at Victoria University of Wellington.

Organised by Associate Professor Alice Beban and Dr. Nayantara Sheoran Appleton, the one-day symposium brought together scholars from across New Zealand and beyond to explore pressing environmental challenges facing Asia. Discussions focused on issues such as climate change, environmental governance, displacement, pollution, land rights, and environmental justice, while also examining how researchers based in Aotearoa New Zealand can engage responsibly and accountably with Asia-focused environmental research.

Luthfi presented a paper titled “Advancing Environmental Democracy: Implications of Indonesia’s Constitutional Court Ruling No. 119/PUU-XXIII/2025.” His research examines the role of constitutional law and judicial institutions in strengthening environmental democracy in Indonesia, highlighting how judicial decisions can contribute to public participation, transparency, accountability, and the protection of environmental rights.

Luthfi’s presentation contributed a legal and constitutional perspective to the symposium’s interdisciplinary discussions, which included work on climate adaptation, Indigenous environmental movements, environmental governance, tourism, food systems, water management, and community resilience across Asia.

The symposium featured keynote contributions from leading scholars, including Assistant Professor Apisom Intralawan (Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand), Associate Professor Amanda Flaim (Michigan State University, United States), and Professor Huhana Smith (Ngāti Tukorehe, Raukawa ki te Tonga; Massey University), whose research and creative practice focus on environmental justice, ecological governance, and Indigenous knowledge.

In addition to academic presentations, participants reflected on the responsibilities of conducting Asia-focused research from Aotearoa New Zealand. The symposium included a visit to Ngāti Tūkorehe in Ōhau, Horowhenua, where attendees learned about community-led efforts to restore local whenua (land) and wai (water), emphasizing the importance of relational, place-based approaches to environmental stewardship.

Luthfi’s participation highlights the growing contribution of legal scholarship to environmental research and demonstrates the importance of constitutional institutions in addressing contemporary environmental challenges. His work also reinforces the value of interdisciplinary dialogue between law, politics, environmental studies, and community-based approaches to justice and sustainability.

The symposium was supported by the Marsden Fund Council, managed by Royal Society Te Apārangi, and co-sponsored by the Political Ecology Research Centre at Massey University and the Sociology and Social Policy Programme at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

https://perc.ac.nz/wordpress/environmental-research-across-asia