International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296 Volume 7 Issue 10, October 2018 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Community Adaptive Readiness for Ecological Changes from Agriculture to Mining in Bombana Regency Syafruddin 1 , Sumardjo 2 , Prabowo Tjitropranoto 3 , Anna Fatchiya 4 1 Study Program of Development Extension 2, 3, 4 Lecturer of Bogor Agriculture University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia Abstract: Ecological changes from agriculture to mining have not been followed by the readiness (adaptive competency) of the people in Bombana Regency to deal with them. Community adaptive readiness is indispensablesince mining is a new thing for the people who have been farmers and fishermen. This study aimed to: (1) analyze the level of adaptive competency of the communities around the mining areas in Bombana Regency, and (2) analyze the factors that influenced the level of adaptive competency of the communities around the mining areas in Bombana Regency. The research method used was survey method and the data analysis was carried out descriptively and inferentially. Inferential statistical tests useda multiple linear regression. The results of the study showed that the level of adaptive competency of the communities around mining areas in Bombana Regency was in the reactive category, including technical capability (reactive), professional transfer ability (pro-active), and the ability to take advantage of available opportunities (pro-active). Internal factors that influenced the level of community adaptive competencywere the levels of education, motivation, perception of empowerment by the company, participation, and community perception of mining ecology. External factors that influenced the community adaptive competencywere counseling support, social environment support, institutional support and communication support. Social conflicts hada significant effect on the community adaptive competency, namely the process of natural resource occupation and the handling of negative impacts. Keywords: Ecological adaptation, community readiness 1. Introduction The socio-economic conditions of the communities around the mining areas in Bombana Regency seem to be left behind with a high level of poverty. This indicates that the adaptive competency of the communities is not sufficient to respond to environmental changes due to the presence of mining companies operating around them. According to the Southeast Sulawesi Statistics Center (2015), the poverty level of Bombana Regency was still above the national average (14.28 percent). Hafid (2015) noted that the communities around the mining areas had limited abilities and skills, making them find it difficult to participate in the development activities or to respond to environmental, economic and social changes occurring around them. According to Sumardjo (2014), the lack of the community empowerment to face changes in the environment makes the communities unable to adapt well to the changing ecosystem. This community powerlessness can lead to an increasingly widespread gap between one community and other communities, between the community and the parties that are part of large companies, which in turn can lead to prolonged social conflicts. Sumardjo (2016) suggests that there are four levels of adaptive attitudes, namely static / apathetic, reactive, pro- active, and anticipatory. Apathetic is the lowest level of the community adaptive attitude, while anticipatory is the highest adaptive level. The adaptive levels are presented in Figure 1. Figure 1: Attitudes in adapting (Sumardjo 2016) A community grows and develops from those being characterized by subsistence or apathetic to those empowered, and to the highest level of maturity or adaptation if the community is independent. People who have adaptive characteristics are able to anticipate and face their future (Sumardjo 2017). Lawson and Kearn (2010) describesa competency as having three components: knowledge, understanding and critical awareness. A good community makes information as a center stage for community empowerment. Relevant information enables the community not only to know something that is happening, but it also allows people to have an involvement or role in an activity. In addition, the community also needs to have an understanding related to language, parameters and technical constraints so that they can make convincing arguments about their wishes. Furthermore, if people understand their position, they may be more capable of being critical, reflective and pragmatic about where they want to be and how they want to get there. Paper ID: ART20191998 DOI: 10.21275/ART20191998 945