Jembatan Besi, Jakarta, Indonesia

• Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia.
• 10 million of the 256 million population of Indonesia live in Jakarta.
• the wealthiest 10% of control 30% of the household income while the poorest 10% have access to 3.4%.
• 1/4 of Jakarta residents live in slums.
• Jembatan Besi is about 4 km northwest of the city centre, and has developed organically over 40 years.
• Jembatan Besi is hemmed in on all sides by the city’s built environment and the Ciliwung River.
• Jembatan Besi has a population of approximately 4000, which is one of Jakarta’s most densely populated areas.
• Inhabitants include people whose families have lived there for several generations but also migrant workers who many only stay for a few months.
• Most homes consist of well built ground floor using timber and brick, but expansion is made from scrap wood and metal, making housing unsafe.
• Fire is a risk, due to the use of kerosene and the improvised electrical wiring by the overcrowded residents.
• Due to narrow alleys and tall buildings, there is virtually no direct sunlight for the houses.
• Demand for affordable housing greatly exceeds the supply; neither the government nor the private sector has the resources to cope with increasing amount of people wanting to live in Jakarta.
• Average incomes of residents is USD$4 a day.
• Employment is insecure; selling food or second-hand goods, some of which are salvaged from waste tips, is common.
• Jakarta has many small-scale producers operating in and around the slum areas; there is little protection for these employees from health and safety risks.
• Few homes have toilets; the slum’s toilets are poorly built and run for profit by local businesses.
• The toilets tend to flush out into the open sewers in the street, and there is no clean running water.
• 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 young and elderly are at risk from dehydration due to diarrhoea caused by poor hygiene.
• Air pollution is at very high levels due to use of kerosene for cooking as well as high levels of emissions; this causes health complications such as asthma.
• The nutrition of most slum dwellers is dominated by rice with little fresh protein or fruit and vegetables.
• 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.
• The Jakarta Housing and Administrative Buildings Agency has identified 392 ‘community units’ that are slum areas planned for improvement.