Blue-green infrastructure in Jakarta's fringe: An analysis of accessibility to blue-green spaces as a flood solution in Bekasi City

Abstract

The increasing threat of urban flooding amidst global climate change, compounded by the complex challenges faced by cities in developing countries, highlights the need to transform urban infrastructure systems. Pressure from rapid population growth in many large cities has led to massive urban sprawl, resulting in intensive land use in the suburbs. An increase in urban capacity has not accompanied this—both in terms of institutions and drainage infrastructure—which can increase vulnerability to flooding. Environmental issues and other socio-economic constraints require sustainable and integrated flood management efforts relying on Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI). This study seeks to minimize the risk of urban flooding by assessing the population's accessibility to blue-green spaces and formulating several socio-physical parameters to identify priority areas for developing various BGI components. With a case study of Bekasi City, the research reveals how spatial patterns of the relationship between flood hazard, blue-green-gray space, and population density help determine appropriate BGI interventions. The limited accessibility to blue-green space and weak infrastructure integration must be managed with adequate planning to suit local characteristics and solid policy enforcement through integration into existing spatial planning. This also relates to the importance of regional connectivity and collaboration of cities in the Jakarta Metropolitan Area to drive BGI interventions across scales. The study researched in Bekasi City can provide a good basis for insights relevant to developing further research and broader policy enforcement for flood management in metropolitan areas.