At the Indonesia Urban Resilience Forum, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the National Government of Indonesia, the United Kingdom (UK), and other development partners reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening urban resilience in Indonesia, including the country’s new capital Nusantara and the current capital Jakarta. 

The Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), ADB and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (UK FCDO) jointly held the Indonesia Urban Resilience Forum discussing ways to boost the country’s urban resilience on July 30, 2024, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta.

Indonesia is one of the top three most vulnerable countries to climate change, facing severe threats from floods, droughts, sea level rise, and exponentially-increasing rainfall. Rapid growth, especially in coastal cities, heightens these dangers. With 75% of urban areas at risk, enhancing resilience is urgent.

[In the picture] the high plenary speakers delivering their opening remarks during the forum include Bambang Susantono, Indonesia’s Presidential Special Envoy for International Cooperation on Nusantara; Tri Dewi Virgiyanti, Deputy Minister of BAPPENAS; Jiro Tominaga, ADB Country Director for Indonesia; H.M.A. Dominic Jermey, British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste; and Amanda McLoughlin, Development Director to Indonesia in the British Embassy Jakarta.

This forum was co-organized by ICLEI – Local Government for Sustainability Indonesia as a knowledge partner, ensuring that sub-national engagement was integrated into the transformative discussions around urban resilience in Indonesia.

Speaking at the opening plenary, Tri Dewi Virgiyanti, Deputy Minister of the BAPPENAS, highlighted that Indonesia has been integrating disaster resilience and climate adaptation into development plans. Furthermore, she highlighted that city zoning must identify disaster-prone areas and restrict activities to minimize economic losses and impacts.

“Indonesia has been integrating disaster resilience and climate adaptation into development plans. Furthermore, city zoning must identify disaster-prone areas and restrict activities to minimize economic losses and impacts,” said the BAPPENAS Deputy Minister.

“To tackle these challenges, Indonesia promotes multi-stakeholder collaboration for technology diffusion, knowledge sharing, training, and community empowerment, especially for vulnerable groups,” she added.

[In the picture] H.M.A. Dominic Jermey, British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, and Amanda McLoughlin, Development Director for Indonesia at the British Embassy in Jakarta and other participants, visit the urban resilience exhibition showcasing project best practices from Indonesian cities.

“Our contribution through the ADB-Urban Resilience Trust Fund (URTF) and our strong partnership with BAPPENAS and the Nusantara Capital Authority highlights our ongoing commitment to supporting Indonesia’s climate resilience,” said H.M.A. Jermey.

In an act of solidarity, international development partners, ambassadors and representatives from diplomatic missions, development partners, and government pledged their support for advancing Indonesian urban resilience. Ms. Amena Yauvoli, the Fiji Ambassador to Indonesia, was present at the forum and joined the pledge.

Launching of URTF’s support to Nusantara as the beacon of sustainable development

The ADB-URTF supports a USD 2 million technical assistance program that targets Nusantara, Indonesia’s new capital. This program aims to facilitate community activities, retrofit schools for climate adaptation, and promote regenerative urban agriculture to boost food security in the new capital.

[In the picture] Bambang Susantono, Indonesia’s Presidential Special Envoy for International Cooperation on Nusantara, is presenting the keynote speech during the launch of URTF’s support for Nusantara, the new Indonesian capital city.

“This initiative showcases a joint effort to ensure that Nusantara stands as a beacon of sustainable development and boost Indonesia’s role in the global climate change campaign,” he added.

The Forum saw the launch of ADB-URTF support for Nusantara.

The URTF is an USD 82.12 million multi-donor trust fund funded by the UK FCDO and administered by ADB. It focuses on adaptation, nature-positive solutions, and climate finance. In Indonesia, USD 1.5 million in the form of technical assistance will be used in Jakarta to explore new revenue sources, primarily carbon pricing, for enhanced climate action.

“Climate action is at the heart of ADB’s operations,” said Jiro Tominaga, ADB Country Director for Indonesia. “We are pleased to partner with Indonesia to strengthen urban resilience through investments in infrastructure, energy, transport, agriculture, health, and education,” he added.

Indonesian cities stepping up to enhance urban resilience  

Indonesian cities are advancing urban climate change resilience. At the forum, cities like Makassar, Semarang, Batam, Palu, and Jakarta showcased their innovative approaches to tackling climate challenges.

The forum featured a panel discussion on local government round tables, inviting city representatives to discuss critical issues and opportunities surrounding urban resilience at the sub-national level.

In Makassar, the Revitalization of Informal Settlement and their Environments (RISE) pilot initiative demonstrated how nature-based solutions and community engagement can effectively address sanitation and health needs in informal settlements, which are often underserved by large-scale infrastructure.

In recognition of their outstanding efforts in enhancing urban resilience, 16 Indonesian cities committed to climate action have been acknowledged as ”urban resilience champions” during the forum to support the national agenda. 

14 Indonesian cities, including Bandung, Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Makassar, Batam, Palu, Padang, Palembang, Balikpapan, Samarinda, Pontianak, Jambi, Pekanbaru, and Mataram, received recognition as ”urban resilience champions” for their commitment to climate action during the forum.

During one of the sessions, Ananta Fahrurrozi, Head of the Development Planning, Research and Innovation Agency (BAPPERIDA) of  Samarinda City, affirmed the government’s commitment to continue promoting collaboration among various government agencies and stakeholders in technology diffusion, knowledge sharing, training, and community empowerment, especially for vulnerable groups.

The forum featured an interactive aspiration wall that invited participants to write down their aspirations for enhancing the resilience of Indonesian cities.

“We will continue to work hard to ensure that Samarinda becomes an increasingly resilient city, ready to face future challenges,” he said.

“We cannot only depend on government funding. Blending different financing instruments, involving community, private sectors and other institutions, as well as strengthening national and local government collaboration is crucial for fostering resilient growth of Indonesia’s cities,” further explained Togu Santoso Pardede, BAPPENAS Director of Local Development.