Problem

Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, home to 10.5 million people, is facing significant challenges in housing and environmental management due to the high urban population growth and a mismatch between housing needs and supply. As of 2022, only 37% of Jakarta’s residents had access to adequate housing, leaving many in substandard living conditions. Jakarta faces numerous environmental challenges that strain the city and its residents. High levels of air pollution and widespread water contamination affect and compromise the quality of life for people across all socio-economic groups. The city is also highly vulnerable to flooding, with northern areas and riverbanks at greatest risk, and damage and economic loss caused in 2020 floods disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income communities. Climate change, land subsidence, and rising sea levels are expected to worsen flooding risks significantly by 2030.

In 2021, Indonesia’s buildings sector accounted for 23% of total energy consumption, and the number is expected to double by 2030. While the Government of Jakarta recognises the importance of participatory planning in climate action, the lack of proportional representation of marginalised groups undermines equity in decision-making processes. The building sector accounts for over one-third of Jakarta’s total emissions, therefore, efforts to promote green building practices and achieve net-zero emissions by 2030 are urgent, but are hindered by insufficient stakeholder engagement and programme enforcement.

Response

Aiming to boost meaningful participation in its planning process, the Jakarta Government launched several community climate action programmes. 

From 2019 to 2021, the Government collaborated with ICLEI Indonesia to conduct public consultations to develop Ikhtiar Jakarta (Towards a Sustainable Jakarta), a planning document showcasing the low emission development strategies pledged by different local stakeholders of Jakarta, which serves as an input for the Jakarta Government’s climate mitigation and adaptation agenda. The development process of Ikhtiar Jakarta reportedly involved 470 stakeholders from diverse groups, including women, youth, elderly, persons with disabilities, fisherfolk, and NGOs, with a minimum 30% female participation. The initiative aims to promote climate awareness through pilot projects like community-based waste management, energy ambassador training for students, and climate diplomacy by religious leaders, including interfaith guidebooks. Religious leaders also reportedly play a vital role in raising environmental awareness by aligning sustainability with religious values.

Additional programmes like ProKlim (Climate Village Program) work to integrate local wisdom, community capacities, and interactive participation into to craft further climate adaptation plans, to foster a sense of responsibility among stakeholders. As of October 2023,  251 neighborhood units (RW) had reportedly implemented ProKlim, with an overall goal of 2,743 units in 2030.

Find out more: Institute for Human Rights and Business