Localizing the SDGs in Indonesia: What Banyumas Reveals about Global Partnerships

The study shows that Banyumas Regency’s partnerships with international organizations have delivered major success in waste management but concentrated most resources in one sector, leaving other Sustainable Development Goals underdeveloped. It warns that without real power-sharing and balanced investment, global–local collaborations risk creating dependency and uneven local development rather than holistic sustainability.

A study, conducted by researchers from Universitas Jenderal Soedirman in Central Java, Indonesia, examines how global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are implemented at the local level through international partnerships. Led by Elpeni Fitrah, Nuriyeni Kartika Bintarsari, and their colleagues, the research focuses on Banyumas Regency, a mid-sized local government working with major international institutions such as UNDP, the World Bank, UNCDF, and German development agencies. The paper is set in the final years before the 2030 SDG deadline and asks a simple but important question: how do global development ideals actually work when they reach local governments with limited resources? The authors argue that Banyumas offers a revealing example of both the strengths and weaknesses of global–local collaboration.

Why Banyumas Matters

Banyumas is not a wealthy or powerful region. Like most Indonesian regencies, it depends heavily on national funding and has little financial freedom of its own. Yet it has gained international attention by branding itself as a Smart Green ASEAN City and actively seeking partnerships with global development actors. This makes Banyumas an important case for understanding SDG “localization,” the process of adapting global goals to local needs and conditions. The study shows that while international partnerships can open doors that would otherwise remain closed, they also bring pressures to align local priorities with donor expectations. In Banyumas, the need to demonstrate quick and measurable success strongly influenced which development sectors received attention and funding.

Success in Waste Management

The most visible success story in Banyumas is waste management. With strong support from international partners, especially UNCDF, the regency has achieved 99.31 percent household waste handling coverage and reduced waste by 66.83 percent through circular economy initiatives. These results are impressive and frequently highlighted in international reports. However, the study reveals that this success is highly concentrated. Around 87 percent of all global financial support to Banyumas between 2020 and 2025, about USD 150,000, was directed to waste management alone. Other important sectors, such as clean energy, climate adaptation, tourism, and the creative economy, received little or no support, even though local communities see them as vital for jobs and long-term growth.

The Problem of Resource Magnetism

To explain this imbalance, the authors introduce the idea of “resource magnetism.” This concept describes how early success in one sector attracts more and more attention, funding, and expertise, making it easier to keep investing in the same area while neglecting others. In Banyumas, waste management became a magnet because it produced clear numbers that donors could easily report, built trust between partners, and reduced the risks of future projects. Over time, this created a cycle in which international partners preferred to expand what was already working rather than explore new sectors that seemed more complex or uncertain. The paradox is that while this helped Banyumas excel in waste management, it also slowed progress in other SDG areas, leading to uneven development.

Partnerships Without Real Power Sharing

The study also looks closely at how partnerships are governed. Banyumas has formally adopted the pentahelix model, which aims to bring together government, private companies, universities, community organizations, and international partners as equal contributors. In practice, however, the model falls short. Decision-making is dominated by international organizations and local government officials, largely because they control money and regulations. Universities and community groups are usually consulted or asked to help implement projects, but they rarely shape priorities or strategies. Most partnerships remain at a basic level of cooperation rather than becoming fully integrated, with shared authority and responsibility.

Lessons for Sustainable Development

Despite its limitations, the Banyumas experience shows that international partnerships can deliver real results where local resources are scarce. At the same time, the study warns that project-based cooperation can create dependency and distort local priorities if power and resources remain unevenly distributed. The authors argue that stronger community involvement, genuine power sharing, and deliberate efforts to support neglected sectors are essential for more balanced development. Banyumas ultimately illustrates a broader lesson for SDG implementation worldwide: without careful design, global–local partnerships may produce impressive successes in a few areas while leaving the larger promise of sustainable development only partially fulfilled.