Search

Concerns over water scarcity, climate change, and environmental health risks have prompted some Asian cities to invest in river rehabilitation, but deciding on the end goals of rehabilitation is a complex undertaking. We propose a multidisciplinary framework linking riparian landscape change to human well-being, providing information relevant to decision makers, in a format that facilitates stakeholder involvement. We illustrate this through a case study of the densely settled, environmentally degraded, and flood prone Ciliwung River flowing through metropolitan Jakarta, Indonesia. Our methodology attempts to respond to this complexity through an iterative approach, strongly based on conceptualization and mathematical modeling. Nested hydrologic, hydrodynamic, and water quality models provide outputs at catchment-, corridor-, and localized site-scales. Advanced 3-D landscape modeling is used for procedural design and precise visualization of proposed changes and their impacts, as predicted by the mathematical models. Finally, participatory planning and design methods allow us to obtain critical stakeholder feedback in shaping a socially acceptable approach. Our framework aims at demonstrating that a change in paradigm in river rehabilitation is possible, and providing future scenarios that balance concerns over flooding, water quality, and ecology, with the realities of a rapidly growing megacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Many cities are located in coastal areas and many of them are identified as prone to climate change impacts, especially sea level rise and floods. Master plans of cities can feature responses to these challenges, as in the case of Jakarta's masterplan 2010-2030. However, as this chapter will argue, the top-down nature of planning would likely produce, reproduce, or reaffirm unjust urban geographies in the name of climate change adaptation. North Jakarta and its coastal area, which were prone to climate change risks, has been home for more than 40,000 poor households, most of which live in houses less than 50 m2 in informal settlements with lack of basic needs infrastructures. This chapter addresses the question, "How are poor communities in the north coast of Jakarta affected by extreme weather events, and how are their everyday experiences addressed in master plan Jakarta 2010-2030?" Methodology/approach - Analysis is based on community profiles, census information, and a workshop with representatives of these communities. This chapter will also analyze relevant parts of Jakarta 's 2010-2030 master plan. The discussion covers the following: (1) the making of place-based communities of the urban poor in the north coast of Jakarta compared to the master plan, and (2) the impact of climate change on the urban poor's livelihoods in the north coast. Findings - The current master plan 2010-2030 features plans to mitigate climate change and environmental risks for the coastal area, especially sea level rise, land subsidence, and pollution. The study reveals that North Jakarta communities were unaware of what the city planners have drafted, but most of them realized climate challenges based on their everyday experience. They aspired to be involved in the planning process, but their in formal status hampered their opportunity to be heard. Originality/value of chapter - Rather then looking at how Jakarta as a city is affected by climate change, this chapter focuses on specific communities in North Jakarta that are prone to climate change-induced risks. Climate change impacts are spatially unequal, and even in the same region that theoretically bears the same risks, the impact distribution of climate change can be unequal for different social groups. The chapter also questions the ability of urban planning to respond to these challenges when planning practice itself has not yet taken into account citizens' social awareness and participation meaningfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dam operations have had significant impact on the natural flow regimes in most of the world large rivers. The Mekong River in Southeast Asia was one of the few remaining rather intact large river basins. The natural flow regime, however, is changing due to the recent hydropower development of many large dams in both mainstream and tributaries. The impacts of dams operation on the natural flows and the recent droughts in particular were examined in Chiang Saen, close to the Chinese dams on the Mekong River mainstream. We used the Indicators of Hydrological Alteration (IHA) to examine the impacts of dam operation on water discharge. The water discharge was obviously lower in the dry seasons (1-, 3- and 7-day minima) in the post-dam period (1992–2010) than in the pre-dam period (1960–1991). The water discharge in the wet seasons (1-, 3- and 7-day maxima) was marginally lower in the post-dam period. The monthly mean value averaged over the entire post-dam period was higher in July (an increase of 15%), but lower in August (a decrease of 9%) than in the pre-dam period, suggesting the reservoirs released more water for hydropower generation in July, but started to store water in August. The early monsoon withdrawal and low monsoon rainfall in 2009, as well as very low rainfall in the dry season of 2010 resulted in 2010 severe drought in Yunnan and the lower Mekong basin. Water flows at Chiang Saen were dominated by precipitation upstream, but the existing reservoirs (Manwang, Dachaoshan, Jinhong, and Xiaowan until 2010) have altered the water flow to a certain degree at Chiang Saen. However, climate change, especially temperature increase of 0.2–0.4 C°/10 years and glacial melting in the river origin area, and more importantly, recent extreme weather events, could put the Chinese reservoirs at the center of debate. Our results can be used to enhance the understanding of the potential future hydrological changes in the basin due to the rapid hydropower development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]