114
T. Neise et al.
the eviction policy
3 (cf. Leitner and Sheppard 2017; Garschagen and Surtiari 2018),
the entrepreneurs that mostly work in a semi-formal or informal business environment and within a very local market (i.e., neighborhood) lose their livelihood. At their
new home, primarily social housing complex, they are not allowed to reopen their
business, for instance, of food production. Overall, the Jakarta government focuses
on finishing the large-scale flood mitigation project funded by the World Bank that
includes increasing the water capacity of the main rivers, building large pumping
stations at the coast, and heightening the coastal flood protection wall (Interviews
BBWSCC 2017; Public Works 2017). However, this program has two major shortcomings. First, the severities that small enterprises will lose their business, and their
customer is largely ignored. Second, the measures have reduced the magnitude of
large floods especially in the central business district of Jakarta but lacks to combat
inundations in settlements of lower income residents with a substantial number of
SMEs and even tend toward an intensification of flooding (Garschagen et al. 2018).
Discussion: Proposal for a More Integrative Flood
Governance
The empirical research shows that SMEs concentrate on individual adaptation options
that have a very limited long-term impact. Especially small enterprises lack to
perform sophisticated, more effective measures due to their inadequate competencies
and limited financial resources. At the same time, cooperation between the enterprises and even more collaboration with governmental authorities and the industrial
park managers lacks to a large extent. Also, it became clear that state-led adaptation
measures are insufficient to alleviate the flood risk for SMEs and do not take place in
line with the adaptation efforts of SMEs. Until now, the flood mitigation policies in
Jakarta and Semarang do not seem to be sufficient, as measures by public authorities,
companies, and communities are performed side by side in an uncoordinated manner
(cf. Neise et al. 2018).
Given the overarching goal to reduce flood risk for the two cities as a whole, our
analysis suggests that the flood mitigation policy in both cities should be enhanced
toward a more integrative flood governance approach, including SMEs and utilizing
their individual capacities. Such an agenda enables to gain more efficacy by synchronized flood adaptation measures and higher investment efficiency. The costs of
measures can be shared, and a higher efficacy can be achieved if rather large-scale
measures (e.g., a polder or pump house) are implemented. More far-reaching adaptation measures not only have a positive effect on reducing the flood risk for the
enterprises but also for the inhabitants, who often live in the immediate vicinity of
the manufacturing firms. Overall, the urban infrastructure is improving, and more
3 Since 2014, mainly informal settlements at the banks of the Ciliwung river and the Pluit retention
pond have been forcedly evicted from the Jakarta administration. The eviction aims to dredge the
river and retention pond as well as to reinforce the embankment (Leitner and Sheppard 2017).
T. Neise et al.
the eviction policy
3 (cf. Leitner and Sheppard 2017; Garschagen and Surtiari 2018),
the entrepreneurs that mostly work in a semi-formal or informal business environment and within a very local market (i.e., neighborhood) lose their livelihood. At their
new home, primarily social housing complex, they are not allowed to reopen their
business, for instance, of food production. Overall, the Jakarta government focuses
on finishing the large-scale flood mitigation project funded by the World Bank that
includes increasing the water capacity of the main rivers, building large pumping
stations at the coast, and heightening the coastal flood protection wall (Interviews
BBWSCC 2017; Public Works 2017). However, this program has two major shortcomings. First, the severities that small enterprises will lose their business, and their
customer is largely ignored. Second, the measures have reduced the magnitude of
large floods especially in the central business district of Jakarta but lacks to combat
inundations in settlements of lower income residents with a substantial number of
SMEs and even tend toward an intensification of flooding (Garschagen et al. 2018).
Discussion: Proposal for a More Integrative Flood
Governance
The empirical research shows that SMEs concentrate on individual adaptation options
that have a very limited long-term impact. Especially small enterprises lack to
perform sophisticated, more effective measures due to their inadequate competencies
and limited financial resources. At the same time, cooperation between the enterprises and even more collaboration with governmental authorities and the industrial
park managers lacks to a large extent. Also, it became clear that state-led adaptation
measures are insufficient to alleviate the flood risk for SMEs and do not take place in
line with the adaptation efforts of SMEs. Until now, the flood mitigation policies in
Jakarta and Semarang do not seem to be sufficient, as measures by public authorities,
companies, and communities are performed side by side in an uncoordinated manner
(cf. Neise et al. 2018).
Given the overarching goal to reduce flood risk for the two cities as a whole, our
analysis suggests that the flood mitigation policy in both cities should be enhanced
toward a more integrative flood governance approach, including SMEs and utilizing
their individual capacities. Such an agenda enables to gain more efficacy by synchronized flood adaptation measures and higher investment efficiency. The costs of
measures can be shared, and a higher efficacy can be achieved if rather large-scale
measures (e.g., a polder or pump house) are implemented. More far-reaching adaptation measures not only have a positive effect on reducing the flood risk for the
enterprises but also for the inhabitants, who often live in the immediate vicinity of
the manufacturing firms. Overall, the urban infrastructure is improving, and more
3 Since 2014, mainly informal settlements at the banks of the Ciliwung river and the Pluit retention
pond have been forcedly evicted from the Jakarta administration. The eviction aims to dredge the
river and retention pond as well as to reinforce the embankment (Leitner and Sheppard 2017).