ASSESSING THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL FEASIBILITY OF DAM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ON CRITICAL LANDS: A STUDY ON THE ANALYSIS OF THE BENEFITS AND DESIGN CONCEPT OF RIVERSCAPE AS A TOURIST DESTINATION

The construction of dams on critical lands presents a strategic solution to water scarcity, agricultural degradation, and land productivity decline. However, such infrastructure projects often trigger adverse socio-ecological impacts, including forced displacement, cultural disruption, and ecosystem imbalances. In response, there is growing interest in integrating riverscapebased tourism concepts into dam projects to enhance environmental sustainability and community welfare. This study aims to assess the socio-ecological feasibility of developing riverscape tourism in the context of dam construction, focusing on the Mujur Dam project in Central Lombok, Indonesia—a region affected by drought and land degradation. The research adopts a qualitative case study approach, employing data collection methods such as in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), document analysis, and participatory field observations. Informants include residents, farmers, policymakers, tourism actors, indigenous leaders, environmentalists, and project planners. The results reveal that riverscape-based landscape design fosters multifunctional land use, promotes local economic activities, and restores riparian ecosystems. It also facilitates inclusive public spaces, cultural preservation, and environmental education, crucial for sustainable tourism and disaster resilience. Moreover, integrating tourism elements into dam planning encourages participatory governance and strengthens social cohesion. The study highlights the importance of aligning infrastructure development with ecological sensitivity and local aspirations. Findings provide a framework for combining dam engineering, eco-tourism, and landscape design into a unified socio-ecological model. This research also provides practical implications for decision-makers, emphasizing that riverscape tourism can be a bridging concept to harmonize environmental, social, and economic goals. Future research should explore the longitudinal impacts of riverscape tourism on community resilience and biodiversity conservation. Such inquiry is essential to determine whether the observed socio-ecological benefits are sustainable and adaptable to changing environmental and social conditions. Comparative studies across different dam regions could further validate the transferability of this model. Understanding its scalability and contextspecific outcomes would inform the development of flexible frameworks suitable for diverse ecological and cultural settings. Additionally, more empirical work is needed to sustain future integrated dam-tourism projects.