Climate Resilient and Inclusive Cities Project successfully facilitated CRIC First Discussion Panel in Surabaya between 1-3 March 2023. The event attended by stakeholders from CRIC Pilot Cities and CRIC Partners from South Asia (AIILSG) and Europe (Pilot4Dev, Ecolise, ACR+ and Gustave Eiffel University).
The first day of CRIC discussion panel started with presentation of CRIC project’s current development by Nur Hamidah, CRIC Project Coordinator. The discussion panel was attended by representatives from 10 pilot cities and South Asian and European Partners.
Representatives from CRIC Pilot Cities: Bandar Lampung, Banjarmasin, Mataram and Pangkalpinang were becoming the first pilot cities’ representatives who detailed local climate risks and vulnerabilities. Fruitful discussion started after cities' presentation where cities' stakeholders share their experiences and climate actions. Official from Ternate, a CRIC Pilot City, said that the city has highest human development index in North Maluku. Still, the city is facing es high climate vulnerabilities due to climate changes.
Prof Rizaldi Boer from CCROMSEAP IPB and team attended discussion panel in persons, met offline - for first time - with all CRIC pilot city stakeholders and responded to cities' presentation. Prof. Rizaldi Boer said that CRIC project’s initiatives to build pilot city stakeholders’ capacity play important roles in developing climate action plans. Cities need to understand climate mitigation and adaptation reporting systems developed by national government and provide climate related information.
CRIC Partner, Isabelle Milbert joined the discussion on how knowledge exchange between CRIC pilot cities could continue in the future. City of Kupang's representative details trend in city's greenhouse gas emissions and shares mitigation actions to reduce the GHG emissions.
Thanks to CRIC trainings and CCROMSEAP IPB trainers' assistances, all pilot cities are now able to identify sources of greenhouse gas emissions and create mitigation actions. Like the one in Samarinda, another CRIC pilot city.
For example, in City of Gorontalo, waste sector produces the highest greenhouse gas emissions and the city is working to reduce GHG emissions with existing and new interventions. While in Pekanbaru, energy sectors produce highest greenhouse gas emissions. Another CRIC pilot city, Cirebon, identified 10 potential actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and highlighted the need to synchronize the actions with the existing greenhouse gas data. La Ode Abdul Wahid Senior Researcher from CCROMSEAP IPB mentioned that situation in every city is unique. The bigger the city the more greenhouse gas emissions will be produced by energy sector.
Dr. Bernadia Tjandradewi closed first day's event and hopes 10 pilot cities could become references for other cities - not only in Indonesia but also in Asia Pacific - in developing climate mitigation and adaptation actions.
Second day of CRIC Project discussion panel started with remarks from Dr. Bernadia Tjandradewi mentioning the importance of CRIC initiatives that support Government of Indonesia's Nationally Determined Contribution targets. Warm welcoming remarks also conveyed by Novita Sari, EUD Programme Manager highlighting supports from European Union to create resilient and inclusive communities in Indonesia. Emil Elestianto Dardak, Deputy Governor of East Java Province conveys the needs to mainstreaming climate change issues in everyday life to create resilient and inclusive cities.
After all welcoming remarks, first CRIC discussion panel starts discussing timely topic: "Cities and climate change" supported by presenters from CCROMSEAP IPB, Pilot4Dev and AIILSG. Prof. Isabelle Milbert from Pilot4Dev asks burning question: "Are European cities a good model?" The answers are: "Yes" and "No". Pashim Tewari, Technical Director of AIILSG shares India's framework to operationalise "Leave no one behind".
Sara Silva ECOLISE Community Facilitator and Partner of CRIC Project shared collaborative transformation compass. She said it needs "COURAGE" from leaders to take the best ways forward for the cities. The presentation followed by Dr. Pascaline Gaborit from Pilot4Dev who highlighted climate crisis by sharing IPCC findings. She shared ways to create urban resilience using 3 pillars.
Prof. Rizaldi Boer explained cities are becoming more vulnerable due to climate change. Cities produce 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Challenge is how to decouple development with current trend of increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
CRIC Partner Prof. Youssef Diab from Université Gustave Eiffel closed the discussion panel online, presenting urban engineering concepts towards a resilient city.
The next discussion panel in second day started when Head of Semarang City Development Planning Agency, Budi Prakosa shares the city's experiences in dealing with climate related disasters. Budi Prakosa mentioned that it is important to mainstream climate change into city's development planning. Otherwise, the climate related actions will not be institutionalized.
Danko Aleksic, CRIC Partner from ACR+ talked about the role of local and regional authorities in promoting the circular economy. Danko introduced not only 3Rs but also 9Rs. They are: reduce, reuse, recycle, recover (energy), rethink redesign, repair, remanufacture and lastly redistribute (9Rs). Danko believed that changes can happen in cities in Indonesia after observing city officials' knowledge and capacity in dealing with climate issues during visits to CRIC pilot cities.
The CRIC second day event concluded with presentation from CRIC Partners of findings from pilot cities visits. "Many interventions in CRIC pilot cites give us hope (that they will be able to solve environmental problems)," says Pascaline Gaborit from Pilot4Dev. Prof. Isabelle Milbert also from Pilot4Dev said that CRIC Project is progressing every day and she hoped that the initiatives could continue in the future.
Sara Silva from ECOLISE in her presentation stressed that there is no water scarcity in Kupang City if the city could complete and maintain water distribution network and complement it with other surface harvesting systems. Sara from ECOLISE proposed solutions to flooding in Gorontalo City by increasing water catchment areas in the city: turning cemented drainages into water retention and green open spaces.
Third day, final day of CRIC Discussion Panel starts. Speakers from Surabaya City and Jakarta City are ready to share their experiences in climate mitigation and adaptation actions. Wibi Nastiti from APEKSI moderated this discussion.
Yayat Sudrajat, Head of Transportation Division DKI Jakarta detailed Jakarta's interventions focusing on transit-oriented development to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to CRIC stakeholders. Agus Hebi Djuniantoro, Head of Surabaya City's Environmental Agency, the host city, explained city's community-based waste management that could reduce 50 tons of wastes every day.
After this first session Dr. Bernadia Tjandradewi UCLG ASPAC Secretary General, listened and facilitated dialogue between CRIC pilot cities. Presentations on how to access climate financing from Ministry of Finance and PT. SMI closed CRIC Discussion Panel and provided useful insights to cities that need to fund and accelerate climate actions.
Completing learning circle, representatives of CRIC Pilot Cities visit Jambangan recycling center in Surabaya to observe community-based waste management initiatives.
CRIC Project is not only supporting triangular cooperation between stakeholders from Indonesia, South Asia and Europe but also promoting dialogues among pilot cities and other cities in Indonesia.
Officials from CRIC pilot cities also learn from Surabaya City on how to manage organic wastes in Jambangan recycling center. Last but not least, officials from CRIC Pilot Cities also observe LFG (Landfill Gas) Power Plant at Benowo Landfill in Surabaya that turns wastes into energy.
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