CRIC published the Urban Assessment Report of 10 pilot cities, following a three-month research process and Public Consultation involving stakeholders in the ten cities and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF). The report, which highlights the challenges and opportunities for cities in addressing climate change, is an important supporting document in the urban development planning process to be climate resilient and inclusive.
The report was prepared by six principal researchers, namely Hari Priyadi, Mulya Amri, Harya S Dillon, Wahyu Mulyana, Unang Mulkhan and Muhammad Ridwansyah. The study took place from June to September, and was followed by a Public Consultation process, September 14-22, to gather input and validate the findings. The Public Consultation was attended by a total of 280 participants.
Through this report, city governments can recognize their city characteristics, especially related to disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and mitigation, energy and transportation, water and sanitation, solid waste management, sustainable use of resources and community engagement to promote social inclusion.
The report offers important recommendations for cities to improve climate resilience and promote social inclusion in terms of the adoption of tools, policies, approaches and capacity building of local authorities. The Bandar Lampung City report, for example, recommends the development of a more integrated early warning system so that the city is better prepared to face and overcome the risk of disasters triggered by climate change, one of which is flooding. The study found that there are 51 areas in Bandar Lampung that are vulnerable to flooding due to several things such as river overflow, clogged drainage channels and settlements in the river buffer zone area. In line with this recommendation, the Bandar Lampung City Government agreed to develop an early warning system tool especially to overcome urban flooding.
The report’s recommendations will inform, among other things, the determination of strategic sectors in the city most affected by climate change and the adoption of appropriate tools to mitigate impacts in those sectors. Besides Bandar Lampung, an early warning system will also be developed in Ternate to increase resilience in coastal areas. Cirebon, Samarinda and Mataram are focusing on waste management; Banjarmasin and Pekanbaru on tackling air pollution, Gorontalo and Pangkalpinang on sanitation access, and Kupang on water management issues.
Another recommendation that emerged from this report is the importance of regional cooperation because the impacts of climate change do not recognize administrative boundaries, so joint action is needed. The Urban Assessment Report was appreciated by the city government and MoEF, who considered that this document provided an overview of the ten pilot cities. For CRIC, this report can guide the project in making interventions that suit the needs of each city.