Indonesia.

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia, a country of 256 million people, making it the fifth largest in the world. Of these, some 10 million live in the capital, which, as in other EDCs, is a city of extremes. In the country as a whole, the wealthiest 10 per cent control nearly 30 per cent of household income while the poorest 10 per cent have access to 3.4 per cent. No official figures exist for Jakarta but it is likely that the distribution of income is very similar to the country as a whole. Just over a quarter of Jakarta’s inhabitants live in slum settlements but many others live in districts which ACs would call slums.

Jembatan Besi is a slum in Jakarta about 4 km northwest of the city centre (Figure 5.25). It has developed organically over the past 40 years as Jakarta’s population has grown. The settlement is hemmed in on all sides by other built-up areas and the Ciliwung River. With a population of about 4000 it is one of Jakarta’s most densely populated districts. The inhabitants include people whose families have lived there for several generations but also migrant workers who may only stay for a few months.

The reason why people live in slums like Jembatan Besi (Figure 5.26) is that demand for affordable housing greatly exceeds the supply. Neither the government nor the private sector has the resources to cope with the increasing numbers of people wanting to live in Jakarta. Also, the people themselves do not have the resources to afford more expensive formal housing.

Most people in Jembatan Besi struggle to make ends meet. The average income of residents is about US$4/day but for many this is not a regular income. Employment is often insecure with most residents able to

provide only unskilled and casual labour. There is much self-employment with many families running their own small business. Selling food or second-hand goods, some of which are salvaged from waste tips, is common. Such activities require very little start-up capital and many are run from home. Even jobs in more formal employment come with little security.
Jakarta has a significant garment industry and there are many small-scale producers operating in and around the slum areas. There is little protection for those employed in these small factories and few health and safety precautions.

Health is a major concern. Sanitation hardly exists in Jembatan Besi. Few homes have a toilet and although there are toilets in the slum, they are poorly built and run for profit by local businesses. The toilets tend to flush out into open sewers in the street. There is no clean running water. Groundwater supplies are available but are polluted because Jembatan is built on a former waste tip. This also means that if a family is able to afford a water pump to raise groundwater, it is likely to be highly polluted.Epidemics of water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid are common. The tropical hot and humid climate means that malaria is an issue, as is hepatitis A. The very young and elderly are at risk from dehydration due to diarrhoea caused by poor hygiene.

Air pollution is at very high levels. The use of kerosene for cooking as well as high levels of emissions drifting over the city pose significant health risks for residents. The nutrition of most slum dwellers is dominated by rice with little fresh protein or fruit and vegetables. There are schools but most are poorly equipped. Too often families simply cannot allow their children to complete their formal education because they need to earn money to supplement family incomes. The garment industry is a major source of employment for many young females.

Jembatan Besi is one of the most densely populated places in Indonesia. Most homes consist of a relatively well built ground floor using timber and brick. This represents the original house but as pressures on space have grown, extra stories have been added. Consequently the construction is increasingly makeshift with height. Residents make use of any materials they can find, scrap wood and metal being common. Fire is a constant risk due to overcrowding, use of kerosene and the improvised nature of electrical wiring, most of which suffers from serious over-loading. Due to the narrow alleys and tall buildings, houses have virtually no direct sunlight. Electric lighting is by neon tubes and bare light bulbs.    

Slums such as Jembatan Besi will not be disappearing in the foreseeable future. The urban authorities are trying to make inroads in the worst areas but planning is difficult and non-existent in most slums. The Jakarta Housing and Administrative Buildings Agency has identified 392 ‘community units’ that are slum areas planned for improvement. However, slum clearance to allow rebuilding has tended to result in people relocating to other slum areas and making the situation worse there. The Ciliwung River slums are notorious in Jakarta for the very poor living conditions and overcrowding.

However, there is often a strong sense of community within the slums. Their inhabitants are remarkably resilient; they just about make ends meet and look to build a better future for themselves and their children.
Nonetheless, the inequalities between the residents of Jembatan Besi and others in Jakarta, not to mention those living in ACs, are stark.