Water as Leverage- Setting the scene for a call for action

Water as Leverage for Resilient Cities Asia Setting the Scene for a Call for Action Content
To address the issues at the source, Semarang
has been developing several ecozones: the
ecohousing around Madukoro road and the
Keluharan village, the UNNES eco-university,
the Wijayakusuma Industrial Park and the
ecozone around the Jatibarang reservoir
(Yuliastuti, Wahyono, Syafrudin & Sariffudin,
2017; Murtini et al., 2017). These are
developed to preserve the environment around
the areas, to set an example for sustainable
development and to create awareness
of pollution issues. There might still be
opportunities to improve waste management in
existing districts. For one, only 34% of the city
has waste management and there is only one
landfill at Jatibarang. Concrete possibilities to
extend waste management include community
waste management and creating an extra
landfill (Baba, Purwanto & Sunoko, 2012).
Furthermore, deforestation and a rising amount
of personal vehicles have had quite an impact
on the air quality in Semarang (Gravitiani &
Kristiani, 2015). At this point, only 15% of the
city is green space, which is far below the
25% minimum. As such, reforestation and
creation of public parks could be opportunities
(Setyowati, Martuti & Amin, 2016). In order
to manage the levels of personal vehicles,
Semarang is investing in public transport such
as the Bus Rapid Transit. Attempts are made
to reduce air pollution indirectly by using LED
light for street lights and by reducing emissions
from air conditioning (WWF, 2016).
has nothing to do with the public ponds that
are locally named ‘polders’ as well. The coastal
defense master plan that is currently under
construction consists of a large dyke structure
surrounding the urbanized region of Semarang
as well as its shoreline and mangrove areas.
This seawall will also serve as a highway,
and is to become an important corridor for
Semarang and the east and west of Java. The
new dyke is projected around existing basins
and ponds near the shore, disconnecting them
Fish ponds
Demak Rural Area
from the sea and thus creating water storage
basins for heavy rainfall. A series of pumps
will drain the new polder system, keeping an
artificially low water level in order to allow
rivers to discharge into the basins. However,
the low water level removes the natural estuary
system with its transition from fresh to salt
water. Though the plans are already being
discussed on all levels of governance, the
weakest links within this approach of coastal
defense still need to be examined.
Flood wall with
breaches
Harbor
3.2.4 Seawall
Rain water buffer
Fresh water basin
Fresh water basin
Rain water buffer
Semarang is currently being transformed into a
polder system. The coastal defense master plan
that is in the making consists of a large dyke
structure circumscribing the urbanized region of
Semarang as well as its shoreline and mangrove
areas. This seawall will also serve as a highway, an
important connector for Semarang and the regional
traffic between the east and the west of Java. A
series of pumps and water basins will drain the new
polder system; however, the weakest links in this
vulnerable approach to coastal defense still need to
be examined.
Pump
Future sea wall
Pump
Future sea wall
The new dam in rural
and urban context,
protecting the coast but
removing the relation
between sea and land.
Downstream, a larger range of projects has
been set up. This includes installing pumping
stations and automatic water gates throughout
the city’s canals and rivers. In line with this
development, the city is endeavoring to
normalize the western canal and the Tengang,
Sringin and Semarang rivers. On a grander
scale, and more focused on sea flooding,
a polder system is to be built with retention
ponds and a series of protective dykes along
the coast line. The polder system is further
supported by the Kali Banger, which is being
dredged, deepened and will have pumps and
a dam installed. To clarify, this polder system
Proposal for a new
dam/highway, creating
a polder system
landwards.
256 SEMARANG
Water Issues
PART 2/Background Information on the Partner Cities
257