IOP Conference Series: Earth and
Environmental Science
PAPER • OPEN ACCESS You may also like
- Community Organizing towards Climate
The characteristics of riverbank slum settlement in Smart Disaster Risk Management in
Flood-prone Settlement Revitalization
Indonesia. Case study: Depok, Palembang, Project (The Case of RW 01 Mojo,
Surakarta, in Bengawan Solo Riverbank)
I Andini
Surabaya, and Surakarta
- Riverbank macrolitter in the Dutch
Rhine–Meuse delta
To cite this article: R Q Pramantha et al 2021 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 916 012012 Tim van Emmerik, Caspar Roebroek,
Winnie de Winter et al.
- Hazard Level of Slum Areas in Palembang
City
Sukmaniar, Andri Kurniawan and Agus
View the article online for updates and enhancements. Joko Pitoyo
This content was downloaded from IP address 125.166.100.3 on 17/07/2024 at 09:30
5th ICPEU 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 916 (2021) 012012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/916/1/012012
The characteristics of riverbank slum settlement in Indonesia.
Case study: Depok, Palembang, Surabaya, and Surakarta
R Q Pramantha1, E Agustian2, L Suminar3, L Refnitasari4
1
Architecture Engineering Program, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning,
Universitas Gunadarma
2
Urban and Regional Planning Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indo
Global Mandiri
3
Urban and Regional Planning Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sebelas
Maret
4
Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri
Surabaya
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract. Slum settlement is one of the problems faced by various big cities in developing
countries, including Indonesia. Cities in Indonesia that are developing and functioning as a centre
of activity have invited the surrounding population to migrate to cities in the hope of finding a
better job and life. This is not in line with the limited housing and settlement facilities in urban
areas, thus encouraging low-income people to live in slum settlements, including riverbank
areas. Settlement in riverbank areas that grows uncontrollably has formed a slum area and
degraded the riverbank’s main function. This research aims to find the characteristics of
riverbank slum settlements in Indonesia with observational case study in Depok City, Palembang
City, Surabaya City, and Surakarta City. The research method used is descriptive qualitative by
describing the characteristics of the slum settlement at the location of the study. Data collection
was carried out by direct observation, literature study, and interviews. The result shows that the
characteristics of riverbank slum settlement in the observed locations are formed by several
aspects: (1) physical aspects including land availability, infrastructure, and house building, (2)
socio-economic aspects including people’s livelihoods, the local community awareness, ethnic,
and kinship factor.
1. Introduction
Today, cities are experiencing rapid development, marked by the increase of economy, both in formal
and informal sectors. The significant economic improvement seemed to provide better livelihoods for
urban residents. Massive urbanization becomes a megatrend in the 21st century that forms human
settlements. Urbanization transforms the place, population, economy, and built environment [1]. Since
the early 1950s, population growth in Indonesia has shown a sharp increase. Statistically, population
growth shows the movement of population from rural to urban areas caused by economic, political, and
psychological factors. Economic factor is caused by the development of job opportunities in cities
related to their ongoing development. The political factor is the insecure situation in the regions, which
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution
of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd 1
5th ICPEU 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 916 (2021) 012012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/916/1/012012
reduces agricultural production. Meanwhile, psychological factor is caused by the city's attractiveness
with an atmosphere of independence [2].
With complete facilities and infrastructure, cities are seen as a goal to improve the standard of
livelihood. The availability of jobs that are so widely offered in cities, especially in the trade and service
sectors, has attracted people’s interest to try their luck there. Unfortunately, not all people who migrate
to cities can be accommodated in existing economic sectors, especially for unskilled people, who only
have a minimal opportunity to work in the formal sector. In the end, people who do not meet the criteria
to work in formal sectors then turn to the informal sector, such as street vendors, pedicab drivers, public
transport drivers, scavengers, street singers, etc. This is in line with the fact that the complexity of spatial
use impacts the decline in environmental quality, including poverty and the development of slum
settlements [3]. The development of slum settlements is triggered by three factors: economic, geography
and psychology. Slum settlements with the majority of low-income people choose the location of their
homes that are close to their workplaces. Still, the availability of affordable land is challenging to obtain.
Psychological factors can be seen from the community’s character, which is an “outdoor personality”,
who enjoys doing activities outside the house [4]. In Indonesia, Data on the percentage of urban slum
households (40% and below) shows an increase in the number of urban slum households to 13.86%,
meaning that from 100 households in Indonesia in 2018, 13-14 of them were slum households. [5].
The inability of the community to access jobs in formal sectors creates a new problem that is poverty
in urban areas. With the high standard price of basic necessities, it is difficult for people who have
migrated to urban areas to meet their basic needs, especially for housing. Housing prices that are no
longer affordable for the middle to the lower economic community, ultimately force them to choose
improper housing. The city is not yet ready with an urban planning system to accommodate the
increasing number of migrants from year to year [6]. Furthermore, the inability of the city to accept,
regulate, and utilize these newcomers, ultimately creates a very heterogeneous activity and slum
settlements that develop out of plan [6].
Slum settlements are usually located in the middle of densely populated villages, along railways,
under toll roads, and even along the riverbanks. Looking at the condition of slum settlements, the poor
are forced to live side-by-side with various dangers, ranging from pollution, fires, and floods.
Furthermore, these settlements can be said to be settlements with slum potential if they are not managed
properly because of the densely populated areas, limited land availability, limited public space, more
socially and physically vulnerable people, classified as homogeneous communities, and settlement
patterns that follow river directions and are judged by cultural and traditional values [7-11]. Therefore,
the problem of slum settlements must be addressed immediately. The middle and lower economic class
people can immediately have the right to access housing and are also far from all dangers.
There are five elements in human settlement: nature, man, society, shells, and network [12]. There
are three vital needs for communities in settlement areas based on the income level: identity, security,
and opportunity [13]. The higher the income level, the identity becomes more essential. The low-income
group in the settlement areas will have a very high priority to get out of the situation. The formulation
of a strategy in the context of dealing with the problem of slum settlements, of course, must look further
at the root of the existing problem. Each slum settlement location certainly has different characteristics.
The approach to slum settlements requires multidimensional aspects to ensure a more systematic and
holistic assessment [14]. Therefore, it is essential to understand the physical, social, and economic
conditions of each slum area to be used as considerations in formulating policies in dealing with the
problem of slum settlements.
Research related to riverbank settlements has been carried out in previous studies, including the
characteristics of multi-ethnic settlement on riverbank based on physical and non-physical aspects of
the settlement[10], multi-ethnic settlement patterns on riverbanks that form clustered patterns and follow
the direction of the river [11], riparian planning due to limited space and the high price of land in the
city and inheritance from their parents, [7], the waterfront concept is formed in an area because its
location is a port, warehousing, and trade area [15], the interaction of ethnic communities by utilizing
the existence of the river as a site [16]. Previous studies have analyzed the phenomenon of settlements
2
5th ICPEU 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 916 (2021) 012012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/916/1/012012
on the river banks with various focuses and different perspectives. This research aims to determine the
characteristic of riverbank slum settlements in Indonesia with observational case study in Depok,
Palembang, Surabaya, and Surakarta City. The settlement phenomenon can provide an overview of
riverbank settlements with various variations from the physical, economic, and sociocultural aspects.
This research is also expected to be an input for the government regarding what aspects need to be
considered in handling slum settlements problems, especially slum settlements in riverbank areas. Thus,
this research can complement the phenomenon of other riverbank settlements in Indonesia.
2. Methods
Study areas in this research are Kelurahan Sukamaju Baru in Depok City, Kampung 3-4 Ulu Laut. The
research cases are some examples of cases in Indonesia that describe settlements on river banks. The
selection of the cases is based on the uniqueness found in several aspects of the settlement, such as
physical, economic, and sociocultural aspects. This uniqueness can be used as material to compare the
characteristics of various cases of riverbank settlements in Indonesia: Palembang City, Kampung
Sangkrah in Surakarta City, and Kampung 1001 Malam in Surabaya City. This research used descriptive
qualitative method by describing the characteristics of the slum settlement at the location of the study.
Data collection was carried out by direct observation, literature study, and interviews. Direct observation
was done in the research field area to see the condition of settlements mainly based on the physical
aspects. The literature study was used to enlarge the theoretical frameworks related to slum settlement
areas. Interviews were done with the community and key persons in the areas to collect more in-depth
information.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Slum Settlement in Depok City (Kelurahan Sukamaju Baru)
3.1.1. Physical Aspect
Riverbank slum settlement in Kelurahan Sukamaju Baru is located at some RTs (neighbourhood
association) of RW 05 and RW 07 (citizens association 5 and 7). From the observation and interview,
houses in the area are built with the permanent material and mostly have settled for 25-30 years. Some
physical settings of houses are adjusted with the economic activity of the resident. The land itself was
originally a rice field. Without any knowledge about the minimum setback requirement and the absence
of institutional control, houses were growing naturally and incrementally over time in riverbank areas,
making them categorized as a squatter settlement. With government financial assistance, the river
embankment is constructed using concrete approximately 1,2 m high from the riverbankto prevent the
river overflows into the community settlement. Even so, on the lowest topography of the riverbank
settlement, RT 05-06/RW 05 and RT 06-07/RW 07 will experience the worst flooding when the rainfall
is at a high intensity. Flooding is worsened by poor drainage infrastructure.
3
5th ICPEU 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 916 (2021) 012012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/916/1/012012
Fig. 1 House at Riverbank Settlement of Kelurahan Sukamaju Baru
Source: Field record, 2021
3.1.2. Economic Aspect
The population of riverbank settlement in Kelurahan Sukamaju Baru is mainly classified as a low-
income group. The livelihoods are mainly in the informal sectors such as home industries, poultry and
fish breeders, and various service businesses. Home industries there include tofu and tempeh factories.
There are also some employees and civil workers in the community and from the interview conducted,
it is known that some people are losing a job due a pandemic.
3.1.3. Social Aspect
Generally, social activities held at RW 05 and RW 07 Sukamaju Baru are social gatherings and Al-
Quran recitation. For RW 05 itself, the mosque yard is used by residents for certain activities. The
residents’ solidarity can be seen from the “Kerja Bakti” activity (community service) to build river
embankments and drainage of settlements at RW 05. Community Service was also held in RW 07 in the
context of “Kampung Tangguh” (Resilient Kampung) at an uncertain time.
3.2. Slum Settlement in Palembang City (Kampung 3-4 Ulu Laut)
3.2.1. Physical Aspect
The physical condition of the houses located in the slum settlements of Kampung 3-4 Ulu Laut on the
banks of Musi River are warehouse home which can be categorized as non-permanent buildings because
the material is made of wood. The house is inhabited by various ethnic groups who come from areas
outside Palembang city and use the river as part of their life [5]. The Warehouse home was built because
of its simple shape and it is suitable choice for local people who live on the riverbank. On the other
hand, the formation of a slum environment in settlements is due to several factors, namely the
unavailability of garbage disposal infrastructure, the lack of land availability which causes the position
of houses that are close to each other, and the lack of awareness of the community to protect their
environment. Furthermore, the settlement pattern that is formed is a spread pattern with the direction of
the settlement following the direction of the river, and this pattern is formed due to economic factors
that make the river a source of income.
4
5th ICPEU 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 916 (2021) 012012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/916/1/012012
Fig. 2 Warehouse home at Kampung 3-4 Ulu Laut on Musi Riverbank
Source: Field record, 2021
3.2.2. Economic Aspect
People who live on the riverbank with slum settlement conditions, indirectly describe the economic
conditions of the local people who can be categorized as low-income people. The majority of local
people work as labourers, traders, and work in the informal sectors, such as construction workers,
motorcycle taxi drivers, washers, pedicab drivers, boat drivers, and Nipah management. Therefore, it
can be said that the economic condition of the local community is only sufficient to meet their daily
needs because the income they get is uncertain.
3.2.3. Social Aspect
The social conditions in the slum settlements of Kampung 3-4 Ulu Laut on Musi Riverbank can be seen
from the composition of the people who come from various ethnic groups from outside Palembang City.
The reason why they live on the riverbank with slum settlement condition is because of the strong
kinship factor that causes them to survive from generation to generation. On the other hand, social
interaction is also shown by various kinds of activities, such as religious activities.
3.3. Slum Settlement in Surakarta City (Kampung Sangkrah)
3.3.1. Physical Aspect
The physical condition of the buildings in Kampung Sangkrah is classified as dense, jostling one
another, with several RukunWarga (RW) having a density of >100 units/Ha (RPLP Document of
Sangkrah, 2020-2024). Unplanned buildings with low-quality infrastructure are the causes as to why the
settlement area of Kampung Sangkrah becomes a slum. In Kampung Sangkrah, there are also illegal
settlements due to the location of Kampung Sangkrah, which is traversed by rivers (Bengawan Solo,
Kali Pepe, and Kali Jenes) and the railroad tracks. Illegal areas along the railroad are in RW 2, 4,5,8,9
and RW 10. Due to the location that is traversed by the river flow, the water overflows when the rain
intensity is high.
Fig. 3 Physical conditions in Kampung Sangkrah
Source: Field record, 2021
5
5th ICPEU 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 916 (2021) 012012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/916/1/012012
3.3.2. Economic Aspect
In general, the population in Kampung Sangkrah can be categorized as middle to lower class society.
The community’s livelihood are as labourers, employees, and the rest work in informal sector such as
trader, home industry, and various service businesses. Kampung Sangkrah is located in the heart of
Surakarta City. Kampung Sangkrah is surrounded by traditional markets as the economic centre of the
community. In addition, the community in Kampung Sangkrah also work as painters of cloth used for
various types of clothing. Skills in this field of work have been going on for generations.
3.3.3. Social Aspect
Social relations between the communities in Kampung Sangkrah are very close. This is proven that in
many activities the communities meet and chatt, children play together, and there are routine activities
(social gathering) held by community organizations. In Kampung Sangkrah, there is no particular open
space as a communal space, so the community usually take advantage of the streets, small terraces of
houses, or stalls. However, on the other hand, Kampung Sangkrah is classified as an area with a high
crime rate, including gambling and drinking alcohol.
3.4. Slum Settlement in Surabaya City (Kampung 1001 Malam)
3.4.1. Physical Aspect
The physical condition that can be observed from Kampung 1001 Malam is the type of buildings that
are dominated by semi-permanent and non-permanent buildings. Residents are reluctant to build
permanent buildings because they realize that at any time, the landowner, PT Jasa Marga and the
government of Surabaya City, asks them to leave this area, so they must leave immediately. When it
rains heavily, residents who live along the riverbank often have to find a higher shelter because the river
is overflowing. Even when the river flows so swiftly, the riverbanks are eroded, causing landslides.
Moreover, in the absence of a river embankment, it is feared that the landslide will spread, thus
threatening the safety of the residents. For sanitation problems, residents use public facilities as shared
bathroom and for washing. Despite receiving assistance from several NGOs, the sanitation conditions
are still very inadequate. For clean water needs, a local drinking water company (PDAM) has reached
this area.
Fig. 4 Physical conditions in Kampung 1001 Malam
Source: Field record, 2021
3.4.2. Economic Aspect
Most of the residents living in the slum area of Kampung 1001 Malam are migrants from Madura who
are trying to get better livelihoods in Surabaya. The majority of residents in this area work as scavengers,
construction workers, beggars, petty traders, and street singers. Residents living in Kampung 1001
Malam are categorized as a low-income society because they can only earn Rp. 25.000-30.000 in a day,
while the average of minimum salary in Surabaya City is around Rp 4.200.000 in a month. Some women
6
5th ICPEU 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 916 (2021) 012012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/916/1/012012
in Kampung 1001 Malam also have the skills to make embroidery. Then, they sell these handicrafts to
increase their income.
3.4.3. Social Aspect
The residents who live in Kampung 1001 Malam are divided into two parts. The first part is the small
families who live under the toll road. And the second part is more than 150 families occupying the
Kalianak riverbank. Despitethis very improper settlement condition, people in Kampung 1001 Malam
live harmoniously and have a high kinship. There are several social activities carried out in Kampung
1001 Malam. For example, religious agendas which are routinely held every week. Those who are
Muslim, usually participate in the recitation activity, which is followed by the distribution of alms of
food and other staples for the residents. Furthermore, some of the students from the universities in
Surabaya were also involved in teaching school-age children in Kampung 1001 Malam.
4. Conclusion
The characteristics of riverbank slum settlements at four locations can be seen from several aspects. In
this research, it is explained through economic, social, and physical aspects. The economic aspect in
these locations indicates that the population is a low-income community working in the informal sector,
both working in the local areas around their house and the urban areas. The economic characteristic in
the four observed locations can also be seen through the physical types of the dwellings. The physical
type of riverbank slum settlements can be grouped into permanent, semi-permanent, and non-permanent
type. The locations with the permanent types of settlements are in Depok City (RW 05 and 07 Kelurahan
Sukamaju Baru) and Surakarta City (Kampung Sangkrah), the semi-permanent physical types are seen
in Surabaya City (Kampung 1001 Malam), and the non-permanent physical types are seen in Palembang
City (Kampung 3-4 Ulu Laut). Riverbank slum settlement in Surabaya and Palembang City have never
been provided any program from the government. The use of semi-permanent physical materials in
Surabaya and Palembang city is caused by the economic factor and the unclear status of land ownership.
Although Depok and Surakarta City also face the problem of land ownership status, several government
programs have already been applied at these locations. In the social aspect, all four locations show strong
kinship among the residents and there are many kinds of community activities. Finally, this research has
provided an overview of the characteristics of riverbank slum settlements in Indonesia with four selected
locations. Further research is needed to see the availability and the effectiveness of the slum settlement
program so that the discussion would be more comprehensive.
References
[1] Seto K C S, Dhakal A, Bigio H, Blanco G C, Delgado D, Dewar L, Huang A, Inaba A, Kansal S,
Lwasa J E, McMahon D B, Müller J, Murakami H, Nagendra, Ramaswami A 2014 Human
Settlements, Infrastructure and Spatial Planning. In: Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of
Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York,
NY, USA: Cambridge University Press)
[2] Sujarto D 1992 Bias Kota Raksasa Serupa Jakarta, Wajah Kota Gaya Kampung 3–13 (Jakarta:
Prisma)
[3] Surya B, Saleh H, Suriani S, Sakti H H, Hadijah, Idris M 2020 Environmental Pollution Control
and Sustainability Management of Slum Settlements in Makassar City South Sulawesi
Indonesia Land 9(279) 1-34
[4] Rindarjono 2012 “SLUM” Kajian Permukiman Kumuh dalam Prespektif Spasial (Yogyakarta:
Media Perkasa)
[5] Badan Pusat Statistik https://www.bps.go.id/indicator/23/1561/1/persentase-rumah-tangga-
kumuh-perkotaan-40-ke-bawah-menurut-provinsi.html accessed at 10th June 2021
7
5th ICPEU 2021 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 916 (2021) 012012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/916/1/012012
[6] Muta’ali L, Nugroho A R 2019 Permukiman Kumuh di Indonesia dari Masa ke Masa:
Perkembangan Program Penanganan (Yogyakarta: UGM Press)
[7] Rachmawati R, Prakoso E, Sadali M I, Yusuf M G 2018 Riparian Planning in Yogyakarta City
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 148
[8] Taylor J A 2015 Tale of Two Cities: Comparing Alternative Approaches to Reducing The
Vulnerability of Riverbank Communities In Two Indonesian Cities International Institute for
Environment and Development (IIED) 27(2) 621-636
[9] Darjosanjoto E T S 2015 Design Criteria for Open Space at The Riverbank Area in Kampung
Wonorejo Timur International Journal of Education and Research 3(4) 417-426
[10] Agustian E, Rachmawati R, Rijanta R, Pitoyo, A J 2020 Characteristic of Multi-ethnic Settlement
in Indonesia, A Case Study: Kampung 3-4 Ulu Laut Settlement on Musi Riverbank in
Palembang City E3S Web of Conference 200 1-7
[11] Agustian E, Rachmawati R, Rijanta R, Pitoyo, A J 2021 Pola Permukiman Multietnik di Kampung
Islam Kepoan Kota Denpasar dan Kawasan Kampung Melayu di Kota Semarang, Syntax
Literate: Jurnal Ilmial Indonesia 6(4) 2548-1398
[12] Doxiadis, C A 1970 Ekistics, the Science of Human Settlements Science 170(3956) 393-404
[13] Turner J F C, Fichter R 1972 Freedom to build, dweller control of the housing process
New York
[14] Mahabir R, Crooks A, Croitoru A, Agouris P 2016 The Study of Slums as Social and Physical
Constructs: Challenges and Emerging Research Opportunities, Regional Studies, Regional
Science 3(1) 399-419
[15] Sarinastiti A, Rukayah RS, Murtini T W 2015 Konsep Waterfront pada Permukiman Etnis Kali
Semarang Teknik 36(2) 61-67
[16] Novita A, Taqwa R 2018 Keberlangsungan Interaksi Komunitas Keturunan Arab di Palembang
Dengan Sungai Musi: Kajian Sosiologi Pada Masyarakat Pendukung Situs PURBAWIDYA:
Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengembangan Arkeologi 7(2) 103-118
