ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the participatory governance in Jakarta and examines the extent to which community-based organizations and residents have played roles in mitigating Jakarta’s annual floods. Participatory governance is a relevant topic to decentralization, but is still a problematic issue in Indonesia, particularly in Jakarta. Recent flood management approaches recognize the importance of community-based coping capacities and adaptation strategies. Thus far, government responses to flooding in Jakarta have lacked public participation, particularly in land acquisition and environmental management. Despite democratization and decentralization measures that began after 1999, no inclusive government or community empowerment has been developed in Jakarta’s neighborhoods. Participatory governance in Indonesia is still a problematic issue for local governments. Participatory governance in Jakarta also has to deal with the existence of slums and squatter settlements in riverbanks. Participatory governance in Indonesian cities will also require a transfer responsibility of governing watersheds and rivers from the central government to local governments.
