1st edition: Coasts & Ports Indonesia
The development of coasts and ports is of national importance to both Indonesia and the Netherlands, securing economic growth and offering safety against floods for millions of people.
Given these are typically large-scale infrastructural projects, often taking place in densely populated areas, the development of ports and coasts is likely to have significant impact on people and the environment.
Inevitably, there will be advantages and disadvantages to any such project, but the goal is to plan and design integrated solutions that achieve the best possible outcome for all key stakeholders – People, Planet & Profit.
This first edition of the Indonesia-Netherlands Water Challenge invited students to explore opportunities for such integrated solutions, focusing on Jakarta Bay.
Within the main theme, four “Challenges” were defined, each focusing on a specific dimension that represents an important opportunity for innovative solutions. Each “Challenge” was executed by a team from one of the participating universities and supported by one of the lead partners:
Challenge 1: Working on Water
Thousands of people need access to coastal waters to earn a living, such as with fishery, sea farming and local shipping. We will explore what is needed for these people to benefit from the development of Jakarta Bay by exploring nature-driven design for fishing grounds, ecotourism or local shipping.
Team: ITS Surabaya
Lead Partner: Royal HaskoningDHV
Challenge 2: Building on Water
The development of Jakarta Bay will change the allocation of space for people living on or near the water. We will explore opportunities provided by new coastal and port infrastructure for innovative residential and commercial development (houses, offices, etc.).
Team: Universitas Gadjah Mada
Lead Partner: BAM International
Challenge 3: Living on Water
Protecting Jakarta against the sea is likely to require large-scale flood defence infrastructures such as dikes and dams. We will explore how these constructions in Jakarta Bay can offer additional opportunities, e.g. for recreation and transport.
Team: Institut Teknologi Bandung
Lead Partner: Deltares
Challenge 4: Building with Water
Preservation of nature is a key concern for any coast and port development. We will explore an approach whereby Jakarta is protected against the threat of flooding and utilizes natural forces to its advantage.
Team: Universitas Hasanuddin
Lead Partner: Van Oord
Launched by Dutch Prime Minister Rutte
The first edition of the Indonesia-Netherlands Water Challenge was officially launched during the visit to Indonesia by Dutch PM Mark Rutte. He personally wished the students teams good luck as they started working on their assignments. The teams presented themselves on-stage during the seminar attended by more than a hundred representatives from the Indonesian and Dutch water sectors. For the two following days, the teams worked at the offices of their mentor companies, outlining the initial ideas and preparing their projects.
Finals and Award Presentation during NCICD Expert Meeting
After 3 months of hard work, the team were invited to present their solutions during the NCICD expert meetings in Jakarta to an audience of more than 200 hundred water experts from Indonesia and the Netherlands. The proposed solutions were very well received and lively discussion followed each of the presentations.
The submissions and presentations were judged by an expert jury, chaired by Dr. Basuki Hadimuljono, Director General of Spatial Planning at the Ministry of Public Works. After Dr. Basuki announced the ITB team as the winners with their innovative Integrated Floating Village concept, the awards were presented to all teams by Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, Mrs. Melanie Schultz van Haegen.
