EKOTEOLOGI ISLAM SEBAGAI KERANGKA SOSIOKULTURAL GERAKAN PEDULI LINGKUNGAN MASYARAKAT PEDESAAN

Abstract

Contemporary environmental degradation increasingly manifests as a socio-cultural crisis rooted in declining collective ethics, weakening communal bonds, and the marginalization of religious values in everyday environmental practices. Despite the proliferation of community-based environmental programs, limited scholarly attention has been given to the integration of religious ecotheology as a socio-cultural framework for sustainable community empowerment. This study aims to examine the implementation of the Environmental Care Movement initiated by KKN Nusantara 2025 Group 20 in Padukuhan Kepiton through an Islamic ecotheological perspective that situates environmental stewardship within social values, cultural norms, and religious consciousness. Employing a qualitative participatory research design, this study utilizes the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach encompassing the stages of discovery, dream, design, define, and destiny. The findings indicate a multidimensional transformation. Socially and culturally, the program revitalized collective practices such as gotong royong and reinforced Islamic social values, including ta‘awun and ukhuwah islamiyah, as normative foundations for environmental responsibility. Religiously, ecological awareness was reconstructed as a moral-spiritual obligation grounded in the concept of khalifah fil ardh. Furthermore, culturally embedded ecological economic initiatives emerged, particularly among women’s groups, reflecting adaptive local resilience. Theoretically, this study contributes to socio-cultural environmental studies by positioning Islamic ecotheology as a transformative social capital. Practically, it offers a culturally grounded empowerment model for sustainable rural development aligned with SDGs 15.