Natural Resource Exploitation and Intergenerational Justice in Islamic Economics

Abstrak

This study examined natural resource exploitation and intergenerational justice within Islamic economics by integrating economic explanations of resource scarcity and environmental externalities with Islamic ethical principles. A qualitative, literature-based conceptual approach was employed using secondary sources comprising scholarly publications and relevant institutional reports. Literature was analyzed through thematic synthesis focusing on resource scarcity, natural capital depletion, environmental externalities, distributive justice, and responsibilities toward future generations. The analysis identified three interconnected dimensions of intergenerationally just resource management: ecological responsibility, equitable distribution of economic benefits and environmental burdens, and long-term accountability. Ecological responsibility emphasizes the preservation of natural capital and essential environmental functions, while distributive justice addresses inequalities arising when extraction benefits and environmental costs are allocated disproportionately. Long-term accountability concerns the consequences of present resource decisions for future welfare and ecological opportunities. Islamic economic principles of amanah, khalifah, ‘adl, and mizan provide complementary ethical criteria for evaluating these dimensions. The study contributes an integrated conceptual framework connecting natural resource economics with Islamic ethical obligations without assuming that normative coherence establishes policy effectiveness. Its findings support incorporating ecological costs, distributive fairness, and intergenerational responsibilities into resource governance, although empirical validation remains necessary for sector-specific applications.