The City Administration of Tangerang has long realised that climate change is a critical issue that can significantly affect the city and its citizens. The trapped Green House Gas (GHG) emission in the atmosphere has resulted in the increase of global temperature. In Tangerang, the impact of global warming is tangible in the forms of extreme weather, change of rain patterns, and increase of temperature and sea level.
Responding to this, local government of Tangerang highly supports the initiative of Indonesian national government to apply Climate-Friendly Village (Kampung Proklim) programme. Led by the Mayor, Mr. Arief R. Wismansyah, under the city’s Environmental Agency, Tangerang has shown its commitment by allocating local budget to establish 50 climate-friendly villages started in 2019.
Kampung Proklim is a community-based climate change mitigation and adaptation action. It aims at increasing the awareness of community and developing their understanding on climate change and its impacts. This programme builds and strengthens the capacity of local community, enables clear measurement of city’s potential and contribution to GHG reduction, and generates climate actions at local level that will further contribute to the process of bottom-up decision, strategy and programme making in regards to the climate change.
Mayor Arief has declared that Kampung Proklim programme in Tangerang is implemented under the principles of Clean – Green – 3R – Waste Reduction – Economic Value. Activities conducted include Oxygen Donation (tree planting), Water Donation (creating biopore infiltration holes) and Waste Donation (reduce, reuse, recycle). Using the principles, the programme has positively contributed to (up to) 0.2% of the city’s GHG reduction. In addition, local people have also gained economic value such as from sales of recycled waste (compost and plastic waste) and fruits from tree planting (mangoes, jackfruits, and durians). They also grow plants for herbal medicine for personal use.
The Implementation Process
To ensure the success of this programme, the Environmental Agency of Tangerang takes the initiative to invite leaders of targeted communities to a programme introduction session. In addition to knowledge transfer about the programme itself, there is also a discussion that underlines the important role of local community for sustainable environment. Responses are mostly positive. “For those who are still reluctant [to apply the programme], we introduce them to local leaders who have implemented the programme and enjoyed the benefits,” said Muhammad Thakhir, Head of Environmental Management and Capacity Building, Tangerang City Administration. “We brought community leaders to leading villages of Kampung Proklims programme in Tangerang and Jakarta to spark their motivations.”
Mr. Awaluddin, a facilitator of this programme, has observed that women participation is higher than men in Kampung Proklim activities. “Women welcome our initiatives more compared to men. Perhaps, women have moral obligations more to keep the environment sustainable for their children,” he said. Activities conducted include various trainings: make dolls out of plastic waste for sale (“From Plastic Waste to Doll” training), how to make compost, and how to make handicraft from waste. “In our efforts to make the environment sustainable, it is important that we, as community member, understand our role and contribution and start acting locally,” he said.
At the moment, 30 out of 50 villages applying the Kampung Proklim in Tangerang City have been certified by the auditor of the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Nine of them are going to the provincial Kampung Proklim competition this year. The Environment Agency of Tangerang has also set an ambitious target to have another 75 villages applying Kampung Proklim programme across the city, making Tangerang a city with 125 villages joining the Kampung Proklim programme by the end of 2020.
Tangerang City which is located in the western border of Jakarta, has been active in UCLG ASPAC programme activities, including the International Urban Cooperation (IUC) focusing on climate change. As a result, Tangerang City has signed their commitment with Global Covenant of Mayors (GCOM) on Climate and Energy last year.
