Samarinda and Banjarmasin, two Climate Resilient and Inclusive Cities (CRIC) pilot cities recently received recognition from Directorate General of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment and Forestry for their efforts implementing Climate Village Program also known as Proklim.
Sindang Sari is an urban village in Samarinda that received the latest Proklim award in Lestari Category, the highest award and recognition in Proklim. In total, 13 urban villages in Samarinda had registered with Proklim as of 2022, with 1 village received Proklim Award in Lestari Category, 5 awards in Utama Category and 7 awards in Madya Category.
Sindang Sari village has performed many beneficial initiatives in reducing the impact of climate change. Some of the initiatives are composting, 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) initiatives, waste bank, and production of eco enzymes (EE). And the activities in Proklim and CRIC are closely linked. The two projects could promote mitigation and adaptation actions from planning to implementation.
Examples of mitigation efforts implemented in Sindang Sari include composting, waste management, reforestation, energy saving actions from replacing old bulb with energy saving lamps, using energy-saving stoves, solid waste and waste bank management.
While adaptation efforts in the Sindang Sari village cover hydroponic planting, development of bio pores, rainwater utilization and harvesting including spring protection to safeguard the communities from drought and dry season.
Nurahmani or Yama, Head of Samarinda’s Environment Department, who is also Secretary of CRIC Working Group mentioned that making sustainable action and progress by involving communities are the keys for Samarinda’s achievements at Proklim Award.
Samarinda also initiated penta-helix corporation between government, communities and institutions using CSR funding to generate additional incomes for communities by planting fruit trees and developing productive facilities like fishing pond in the areas.
Yama said that improving waste management and urban climate actions still becoming the biggest challenges for City of Samarinda. Thus, Sindang Sari Proklim as part of climate-resilient village activities can support and synergize with CRIC activities including for adaptation and mitigation initiatives. “I hope that in the future these two programs can support the city government to carry out climate activities and action plans including in reducing greenhouse gas emissions," says Yama.
Banjarmasin
Another CRIC city, Banjarmasin city also received Proklim Awards in several different categories. Banjarmasin earned 21 awards in Utama Category and 30 awards in Madya Category as of 2022.
Banjarmasin has now 6 villages that manage simple household-scale recycling centres, where people make organic compost at home and sell the compost to buyers. In a city scale, several city recycling centres have also been built.
City of Banjarmasin- together with Proklim and Environment Department – have also initiated “Maharagu Sungai”, a program where the city stakeholders maintain cleanliness of 75 rivers in the city at the same time creating and providing funding to train these “pemangku sungai” or river stakeholders.
Wahyu Hardi Cahyono, Secretary in Banjarmasin Environment Department mentioned that Maharagu Sungai programme has now becoming not only an environmental event but also eco-tourism initiative that attracts tourists to come and enjoy Banjarmasin’s beautiful river and riverside sceneries and entertainment like tourism boat and fishing facilities. This eco-tourism initiative will also generate additional incomes for communities.
Wahyu hopes CRIC Project could create synergy with the city’s Proklim plans so that both projects (CRIC and Proklim) could support the city in preparing climate action plans and RPPLH (Environmental Protection and Management Plans) in the future. Along with climate mitigation and adaptation training, preparing climate action plan is one of CRIC prominent activities. “Those plans could help reduce the impact of climate change in the City of Banjarmasin," Wahyu concluded.
According to Wahyu, planning and implementation of climate change programs and regional action plans can be carried out by SKPD (Satuan Kerja Pemerintah Daerah or Local Government Working Unit) and communities. “They already know how to wrap the plans and programmes and make them working in harmony," said Wahyu.
Since 2018, the City of Banjarmasin had started various adaptation and mitigation activities ranging from socialization to implementation at field. The city and its communities had also taken several steps, supported by city policies and programmes, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
For example, the City Environment Department had been proactively facilitating car-free days, emission testing for movable and immovable sources, and monitoring greenhouse gas in industry and companies. Banjarmasin municipal government will also require companies to calculate their CO2 emissions from boilers or power plants, and work to reduce them. City of Banjarmasin in total had received 51 Proklim awards in 51 villages between 2019 and 2022.
Proklim awards for City of Samarinda and Banjarmasin have becoming evidences that the two cities’ stakeholders – governments, communities and private sectors – already aware of the dangerous effects of climate change and – with help from other project like CRIC - start acting to mitigate and adapt to the climate risks.
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* This article is writen by Kesuma Yanti, CRIC Field Officer for City of Samarinda and City of Banjarmasin.
