Sustainability Without Society? Evidence of Social Failure in Intensive Shrimp Aquaculture Systems

This study aims to assess the sustainability of intensive shrimp aquaculture systems and identify structural imbalances across sustainability dimensions. A case study was conducted in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, using a quantitative–descriptive approach. Sustainability was evaluated through a multidimensional framework integrating environmental, economic, social, and technological–institutional dimensions. The analysis employed Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) using the Rapid Appraisal for Fisheries (RAPFISH) approach, complemented by Monte Carlo simulation and leverage analysis to ensure model robustness and identify sensitive attributes. The results indicate that the overall sustainability status is categorized as moderately sustainable, with an index value of 63.13. However, a significant disparity exists across dimensions. The technological–institutional, economic, and environmental dimensions show relatively strong performance, while the social dimension remains less sustainable with the lowest index score. Monte Carlo results confirm the stability of the model, with differences below 5%. Key sensitive attributes include mangrove habitat capacity, biosecurity management, community participation, and capacity building. The findings highlight that sustainability in intensive aquaculture systems is structurally imbalanced, where strong technical and economic performance is not accompanied by adequate social inclusion. This study implies the need for integrating participatory approaches and strengthening social dimensions to achieve comprehensive sustainability.