LEVERAGING CREATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS THROUGH PARALLEL DIPLOMACY: SUBNATIONAL PATHWAYS FOR INDONESIA’S GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

Abstract

ABSTRACT. This study examines how Indramayu Regency leverages creative environmental assets through parallel diplomacy as a subnational pathway for Indonesia’s global engagement. The research aims to identify forms of creative environmental sector activities linked to international cooperation and analyze how local governments can strategically use parallel diplomacy to strengthen their global positioning. Employing a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory approach, the study draws on the theoretical perspectives of parallel diplomacy (Duchacek, 2001), multilayered diplomacy (Hocking, 1993), subnational diplomatic motivations (Tavares, 2016), and multitrack diplomacy (Wehrenfennig, 2008). Data were collected through interviews with key local agencies, including the Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Office, the Environmental Office, and the Food Security and Agriculture Office, complemented by secondary literature, official reports, and policy documents. Findings reveal that Indramayu’s parallel diplomacy practices remain largely inward-looking, focusing on capacity building, agricultural modernization, and waste management through programs such as Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) with the World Bank. Initiatives involving foreign partners from Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Germany highlight the region’s attempts to expand international collaboration, although many efforts remain constrained by regulatory gaps, limited institutional capacity, weak coordination, and underdeveloped digital branding. Nonetheless, Indramayu demonstrates potential to shift toward an outward-looking strategy through investment attraction, industrial estate development, and international environmental initiatives. By integrating multilayered and multitrack diplomacy, involving central government, private sector, academia, and communities, Indramayu can strengthen its role in aligning local priorities with global agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Indonesia’s Golden 2045 Vision. This study concludes that parallel diplomacy in Indramayu’s creative environment sector, while still evolving, holds significant promise for enhancing subnational competitiveness, fostering sustainable development, and positioning Indonesia more effectively in global governance through non-central channels.