API NEWSLETTER 23 (March - July 2011)

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Kali Code - An Experience in Mutual Assistance and Perseverance

API Regional Project Site Activities in Indonesia

The API Regional Project (RP) is a pioneering post-fellowship activity conceived and executed by members of the API Community. It seeks to foster greater regional consciousness by promoting relationships among cultures, engaging in collaborative activities, and confronting issues whose relevance goes beyond locality and nation. Recognizing the socio-cultural dimensions of the current global environmental crisis, the API RP focuses on the theme Community-Based Initiatives for Human-Ecological Balance. Launched in November 2008, it ran for three years in five sites within each of the API participating countries: Biwa-ko in Japan, Batanes in the Philippines, Khiriwong in Thailand, Kali Code in Indonesia, and Tasik Chini in Malaysia. API RP studies how local communities respond to the environmental challenges of forest degradation, water quality, urban environment and marine coastal ecology. Documented lessons learnt from community wisdom, initiatives and experiences will hopefully help develop better responses for the future.

The RP site visit of Kali Code near Yogyakarta took place from February 13 until February 22, 2011. At the height of the preparations for the site visit, Mt. Merapi erupted and the area was subsequently overwhelmed by ensuing floods. Indonesia Regional Project Working Group (RPWG) as well as Pemerti Kali Code (Yogyakarta Code Community Forum), co-hosting the Kali Code visit, had to undertake a serious assessment of the feasibility of the February site visit. Consequently, the focus shifted significantly to disaster preparedness and mitigation. It took a lot of determination, hard work and community resources but the visit was superbly organized.

API Regional Project participants learn how the Kali Code communities respond to environmental challenges

INSIDE

- 9th Regional Workshop: Understanding Confluences and Contestations Continuities and Changes

- Regional Project site visit: Kali Code

- Solidarity in Spirit: Living in Japan in a Time of Catastrophe by Tan Pekleng (Malaysia Fellow Year

- The Impact of Japan's Earthquake and Tsunami on Environment and Future Challenges by Kohei Watanabe (Japan Fellow Year 2009 - 2010)

- Biwako Harvest Festival by Motoko Kawano (Japan Fellow Year 2002 - 2003)

- Banglamphu, Alone but not Lonely by Wimonrart Issarathumnoon (Thailand Fellow Year 2003 - 2004)

- API Country Workshops 2011

RELATED STORIES:

Life in a Dangerous Situation

by Yuli Nugroho (Indonesia Fellow Year 2005-2006)

Compared to the other four site visits of API Regional Project, RP Kali Code had several ‘advantages’. Its urban location meant that there was no logistical or transportation problems and participants staying at a hotel nearby could access all sites. Conducted after the Mt. Merapi eruption, the site visit gave participants a chance to watch firsthand how the cold lava flood could cause damage to a community and wreak havoc to lives and livelihoods.

Yogyakarta being a university city, participants also got to meet experts from various sectors – academics, NGO activists, government officials, etc. Since 2011 was also an election year for the mayor of Yogyakarta, the visit also became a platform for candidates to push their political agendas. Consequently, Kali Code communities found it easy to invite and meet government officials.

The RP Kali Code site visit was held within 10 days between February 13 and 22, 2011. After a warm welcome by the City Tourism Office of Yogyakarta on Sunday February 13, the participants were introduced the next day to the development and general problems of Kali Code through a half-day seminar on “River and Environment Management Yogyakarta”.

The third day was a field visit of the Mt.Merapi area, taking in the head water as well as understanding the management of the Mt. Merapi National Park.  The visit continued to the Indian Ocean where Kali Code empties into the sea as the Opak River.

From the third to sixth day the participants divided into three groups – north, center and south – and visited the corresponding communities along the river. Each area has its own characteristics and problems. However all participants went together when they visited some important resource persons particularly from government offices and universities.

On the seventh day, participants came together to share their findings in a workshop. Foreign participants also share experiences from their own countries regarding water and river management.

But the big achievement of RP Kali Code was the signing of MoU on the Planning and Revitalization of Kali Code on February 21, 2011 by all parties concerned: (1) Directorate of Research and Community Service, Indonesian Islamic University (UII) Yogyakarta; (2) Institute of Research and Community Service, Yogyakarta Technological University (UTY); (3) Institute of Research and Community Service, Atma Jaya University – Yogyakarta (UAJY); (4) Faculty of Engineering, Gadjah Mada University (UGM); and (5) Asian Public Intellectuals (API) Community – Indonesia. The signing of this MoU was witnessed by Drs. H. Haryadi Suyuti (Deputy Mayor of Yogyakarta City) and Ir. Tri Harjun Ismaji, M.Sc. (Provincial Secretary of Yogyakarta).

The parties agreed to collaborate with the Pemerti Kali Code (Yogyakarta Code Community Forum) within the framework of Planning and Revitalization of Kali Code, which will encompass the following: (1) enhancing the institutional capacity of the Pemerti Kali Code, (2) mapping and disaster mitigation-based spatial planning, (3) drafting of community-based Kali Code Master Plan, and (4) community empowerment of Kali Code community in social, economic and cultural fields.

As Yogyakarta is also well known as a cultural city, Indonesia Regional Project Working Group (RPWG) introduced two popular Javanese cultural phenomena, namely wayang kulit (puppet show) and Ramayana dance, which was performed in the evening. Almost all the places visited offered a song or a dance to welcome the participants.  In collaboration with The Nippon Foundation (TNF), RP Kali Code also made some donation to the victims of cold lava floods.

Eight non-Indonesia API Fellows participated in RP Kali Code, namely: Tomoko Momiyama (Japan Fellow Year 2003-2004), Michi Tomioka (Japan Fellow Year 2006-2007), Glecy Atienza (Philippines Fellow Year 2006-2007), Isagani A. F. Yuzon (Philippines Fellow Year 2003-2004), Rosalie A. Hall (Philippines Fellow 2004-2005), Kokaew Wongphan (Thailand, Fellow Year 2004-2005), Olarn Ongla (Thailand Fellow Year 2007-2008) and Said Halim Said Nong (Malaysia Fellow Year 2005-2006). Most of them conducted their API research in Indonesia; hence their participation in RP Kali Code was like a reunion and re-visit.

The group was joined by Theresita V. Atienza (Philippines Fellow Year 2005-2006) and Yeoh Seng Guan (Malaysia Fellow Year 2005-2006) as Regional Project Management Team (RPMT), Dicky Sofjan (Indonesia Fellow Year 2007-2008) as Regional Project Manager (RPM), Nick Deocampo (Philippines Fellow Year 2001-2002) and his documentary team, and Justine Vaz Tan (Malaysia) as RP book editor.  Prof. Dr. Taufik Abdullah and Prof. Dr. John Haba from API Indonesia Partner Institution (PI) based at LIPI also joined us and visited the Sultan as well, in the hope that as Governor, he would collaborate with the RP Kali Code participants. Michiko Yoshida from API Coordinating Institution (CI) and Shota Nakayasu from TNF also joined in this site visit.

With the site visit completed, the Indonesia RPWG plans to produce a country book on the experience of RP Kali Code from the perspectives of Fellows, communities, and government officers. This project will be led by Pande K. Trimayuni (Indonesia Fellow Year 2001-2002). In addition, plans are underway to conduct capacity building to PKC and stakeholders meeting particularly to follow up on the MoU that had been signed on February 21, 2011. 

“the site visit gave participants a chance to watch firsthand how the cold lava flood could cause damage to a community…”

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

10th Anniversary Commemorative Issue

Newsletter no. 22

(February 2011)

PROCEEDINGS

Osaka Workshop Proceedings

by 2008/2009 API Fellows

Directory of Fellows Year 1-8

Strategic Value of the Kali Code Visit

by Totok Pratopo, Chairperson of Pemerti Kali Code (Yogyakarta Code Community Forum)

In the beginning, my friends and I at Pemerti Kali Code (PKC) were very uncertain about our proposed site visit to the API Regional Project (RP) in Yogyakarta. Mt. Merapi had just erupted and there was cold lava flooding during November and December in 2010. The lives and livelihood of those who lived along the Kali Code River had been seriously affected. Although we had started preparing a year ago both for technical and non-technical supports for the site visit, I worried that people might think we were exploiting the disaster internationally.

With the extraordinary support and encouragement from our friends in the API Community in Indonesia, the site visit in Kali Code finally took place. It is our honor to say that the site visit in Kali Code was very successful from the beginning until the end. Moreover, we finally achieved our major goal, which is the MoU Signing amongst PKC, API Community in Indonesia, and some well-recognized universities in Yogyakarta. The MoU signing was witnessed by Pemerintah Kota or the Local Government Representative, who in this case was Sekretaris Daerah of Yogyakarta (the Local Secretary of Yogyakarta).

I still remember the Radar Jogja Daily announcing the API RP site visit in February 2009. I had hoped then that the API would ask to work together with the PKC. Although I did not know much about the API Community then, I had expected collaboration to enhance the significant and strategic values for the PKC and our members.

Since 2001, Kali Code has been my concern as a Ketua Rukun Warga (RW) or “Kampong (community)” leader. I have lived in Kali Code since my grandmother’s time. I resigned from my work with a private company and devoted all my time to Kali Code. I see tremendous tourist potential in the area and how community welfare could greatly benefit from developing tourism.

Lives of Kali Code people were seriously affected by Mt. Merapi's eruption (Photo by Bu Tani)

It will take time for my ideas and hopes for Kali Code to become a reality. We have serious problems in garbage disposal and illegal urban settlement. The government shows its concern only when a disaster like the flooding occurs. Most of the time, they do nothing. The only efforts come from within our own community at Kali Code. However, the most important support has been from academics, both individual and institutional level. I have been involved in many forums with local government, NGOs and universities discussing river and urban livelihood, and I can safely say that development in these engagements in the last ten years have been slow. Most of the obstacles come from structural bureaucracy, a lack of river management regulations, and budgetary problems. From my point of view, Kali Code’s issues are national problems because its problems with the river are typical of many Indonesian urban areas.

“Kali Code’s issues are national problems because its problems with the river are typical of many Indonesian urban areas.”

The API Regional Project’s site visit which lasted 10 days was an excellent opportunity for us to learn the opinions of foreign participants who share similar problems in their countries. We were able to discuss how Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines have successfully managed problems with their urban rivers. This experience was very important for us because to date, there has been no single regulation in Indonesia regarding urban river management. Kali Code would thus be the role-model for other areas in Indonesia.

The most important thing is PKC now has a legal commitment, represented in the signed MoU with the API Community in Indonesia and other stakeholders. It means a lot for us in particular to obtain some alternative funding from foreign countries and foreign institutions. It is my hope that the capacity building will continue meaningfully and effectively even after the site visit; therefore, we can learn more from the engagements with the API Community. Personally, I hope I will be able to learn from the experiences/lessons of Sungai Melaka Malaysia (MelakaRiver in Malaysia) and other urban rivers in Japan as well as from other opportunities.