Renewing Water-edge Communities | FAP 2023 First Place

CHALLENGES

Jakarta is the world’s fastest-sinking city that is also facing persistent water shortages, flooding, sea-level rises and other related climate change impacts, along with pollution stemming from historical influences. Thus, communities living at coastal areas are most directly affected. These settlements or urban kampungs, according to the team, are deemed critical to the development of cities and their economic growth, and where 80 per cent of the population in big cities resides.

For the proposal, the team selected Kampung Muara Angke in North Jakarta, an old port town that dates back to the 16th century. A trading gateway in the colonial times, it remains a hub for fishing and maritime activities. Its location makes it expectedly environmentally vulnerable, made worse by issues such as rapid urbanisation, poor land use, etc.

Due to the severity of these myriad challenges, the district is currently a priority intervention area under the local government’s coastal and marine protection programme. On a larger scale, as the only coastal area in Jakarta, North Jakarta has a potential fish production value of up to 98.49 per cent, meeting the needs of fisheries in Greater Jakarta and export activities. Muara Angke, more than just the largest fishing industry in Indonesia, is also home to over 1,800 fishermen (both native and migrant).

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SOLUTION

This project addresses the complex water issues in the impacted area and aims to renew the traditional lifestyle of urban kampungs at the water’s edge, through sustainable human/wildlife-centred community planning and water-based solutions. It highlights comprehensive strategies to better transform water-edge settlements, fostering sustainability and adaptability to the local context and water challenges for all age groups. The proposal sought to challenge three pre-existing paradigms and carry forward a more inclusive legacy for the future.

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