HUBUNGAN PERTUMBUHAN EKONOMI INDUSTRI DENGAN KUALITAS LINGKUNGAN DI KABUPATEN BANJAR, KALIMANTAN SELATAN

Abstract

Economic growth in a region is generally driven by increased industrial activity, but this is often accompanied by pressure on environmental quality. This study aims to analyse the relationship between industrial economic growth and environmental quality in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan. The  method  used is  a descriptive  quantitative  approach using  secondary  data in the  form  of Gross Regional  Domestic  Product  (GRDP)  for the  industrial  sector  and environmental  indicators  (water quality, air quality, and land cover) from relevant institutions for the period 2015–2024. The results of the analysis show that the contribution of the industrial sector to GRDP increased by an average of 4.3% per year, in line with the increase in the number of manufacturing industries in the study area. This increase was accompanied by a decline in the water quality of the Martapura River, high particulate emissions in industrial areas,  and reduced land cover due to conversion. Nevertheless, environmental control policies through the implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), waste monitoring,  and the  promotion  of  green  industry began  to  play a role  in  slowing  the  rate  of environmental degradation. These findings support the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, which explains that environmental degradation occurs in the early stages of industrialisation, but in the subsequent phase, environmental quality can be restored as awareness increases and sustainable policies are implemented. Thus, it can be concluded that there is a positive relationship between industrial growth and environmental  degradation  in Banjar Regency,  although  this  can  still  be  controlled  through sustainable development strategies.