7 Resilience of Coastal Cities in Facing Climate Change: Reclamation …
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degradation of coastal areas and the threat of coastal ecology. As a result, coastal
areas are not resilient, so people have difficulties in collaborating their objectives to
protect the coastal environment and its lack of adaptation process. As investigated
by Warsilah (2016), the conditions of the uncontrolled reclamation in coastal areas
in North Jakarta Bay leads to a loss of biodiversity in coastal ecosystem that has
been formed naturally many years ago. It also causes damage of coastal zones and
seashores. Consequently, it will risk the fishermen’s livelihood and their activities.
Due to the loss of marine biodiversity, phytoplankton that sits at the bottom of the
food chain will be diminished. Loss of phytoplankton would mean emigration of
fish to other areas. But more worrisome, due to reclamation activities, fishermen
would also risk their marine resources and local livelihood. They would force to
leave their homes while the area will be replaced by commercial buildings erected
by developers who will prevent them from using social facilities and doing fishing
activities. Reclamation also causes fewer fish catch to local fishermen. Consequently,
it also results in the loss of fishermen’s income. Local fishermen will also have
difficulties and losing direction of their boats from and to the local ports where the
boats usually tie up and sail to the sea as it covered with buildings in reclamation
islands. In the near future, reclamation activities should be integrated with urban
planning by protecting conservation in coastal areas. The new urban planning should
also consider carrying capacity of socio-culture, economy, and ecology of the city
development. Reclamation activities in coastal areas cannot be carried out if the
functions of ecological conservation are not supported. Carrying capacity of social
and environment cannot be maintained continuously to support cities as centers of
economic and political activities. Therefore, cities as centers of commerce, services,
and industries should separate its functions as centers of administration (Warsilah
et al. 2016).
In another study, Warsilah (2014) analyzed that the development of coastal areas
that were handed over to developers tended to use the superblock paradigm. It also
happened in North Jakarta, the reclamation island was made with a superblock system
so that more artificial islands were buried, and it caused reclaimed areas in disasterprone conditions. Moreover, developers introduced the Superblock Development
model in reclamation area, a specific model of Central Business District. This type
of development is usually offered to high-end clients who willingly spend their
money and enjoy recreational facilities in one place or called “one stop shopping”,
while the poor in coastal areas will only get a small portion from economic activities,
either as consumers or work in a small sector. This superblock on reclamation islands
generates less economic profit for the poor living in coastal areas, because they are
not direct economic actors. They are usually common laborers or part-time workers.
This development model would not also support their prosperity. In most cases,
they are expelled socially from their homes because their lands are replaced with
condominiums, hotels, malls, marine resorts, restaurants, eco-parks, apartments, that
need spacious lands. In addition, the choice of development in areas reclaimed with
the superblock system has forced coastal communities to leave their homes and has
excluded fishermen socially (Social exclusion). They are marginalized from their
settlements and do not have access to reclamation areas (Warsilah 2014) (Fig. 7.1).
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degradation of coastal areas and the threat of coastal ecology. As a result, coastal
areas are not resilient, so people have difficulties in collaborating their objectives to
protect the coastal environment and its lack of adaptation process. As investigated
by Warsilah (2016), the conditions of the uncontrolled reclamation in coastal areas
in North Jakarta Bay leads to a loss of biodiversity in coastal ecosystem that has
been formed naturally many years ago. It also causes damage of coastal zones and
seashores. Consequently, it will risk the fishermen’s livelihood and their activities.
Due to the loss of marine biodiversity, phytoplankton that sits at the bottom of the
food chain will be diminished. Loss of phytoplankton would mean emigration of
fish to other areas. But more worrisome, due to reclamation activities, fishermen
would also risk their marine resources and local livelihood. They would force to
leave their homes while the area will be replaced by commercial buildings erected
by developers who will prevent them from using social facilities and doing fishing
activities. Reclamation also causes fewer fish catch to local fishermen. Consequently,
it also results in the loss of fishermen’s income. Local fishermen will also have
difficulties and losing direction of their boats from and to the local ports where the
boats usually tie up and sail to the sea as it covered with buildings in reclamation
islands. In the near future, reclamation activities should be integrated with urban
planning by protecting conservation in coastal areas. The new urban planning should
also consider carrying capacity of socio-culture, economy, and ecology of the city
development. Reclamation activities in coastal areas cannot be carried out if the
functions of ecological conservation are not supported. Carrying capacity of social
and environment cannot be maintained continuously to support cities as centers of
economic and political activities. Therefore, cities as centers of commerce, services,
and industries should separate its functions as centers of administration (Warsilah
et al. 2016).
In another study, Warsilah (2014) analyzed that the development of coastal areas
that were handed over to developers tended to use the superblock paradigm. It also
happened in North Jakarta, the reclamation island was made with a superblock system
so that more artificial islands were buried, and it caused reclaimed areas in disasterprone conditions. Moreover, developers introduced the Superblock Development
model in reclamation area, a specific model of Central Business District. This type
of development is usually offered to high-end clients who willingly spend their
money and enjoy recreational facilities in one place or called “one stop shopping”,
while the poor in coastal areas will only get a small portion from economic activities,
either as consumers or work in a small sector. This superblock on reclamation islands
generates less economic profit for the poor living in coastal areas, because they are
not direct economic actors. They are usually common laborers or part-time workers.
This development model would not also support their prosperity. In most cases,
they are expelled socially from their homes because their lands are replaced with
condominiums, hotels, malls, marine resorts, restaurants, eco-parks, apartments, that
need spacious lands. In addition, the choice of development in areas reclaimed with
the superblock system has forced coastal communities to leave their homes and has
excluded fishermen socially (Social exclusion). They are marginalized from their
settlements and do not have access to reclamation areas (Warsilah 2014) (Fig. 7.1).