THE CHALLENGES OF URBAN FOREST DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF URBAN FOREST IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA

Abstract

The numerous benefits provided by urban forests for the built environment have prompted Indonesia to require its provision in cities into national law. However, the implementation of urban forest conservation and provision still faces several challenges. This study aims to provide the scientific basis in terms of urban forest development, which may be used to induce the execution of urban forest in Indonesia. In this project, I have selected the remarkable accomplishment of urban forest in the local level, using Jakarta as a case study, with literature review and interview approach to collect the data. The result shows that the self-interest among related institutions, the flexibility of existing laws, the inconsistency of its implementation, the high cost of its development, the informal settlement and vandalism within forest, and the severe resistance of local people are the serious issues during the process of urban forest development. To increase the awareness among policy makers, Travel Cost Method (TCM) and Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) are selectively used to assess the monetary value of urban forest in Pondok Labu, Jakarta. From the economic calculation, it can be numerically predicted that the total value of Pondok Labu Urban Forest (PLUF) is approximately IDR58.89 billion (1US$=IDR13,000) in 2015, with annual visitors of 7,896 people. This indicates that urban forest has an undoubtedly promising opportunity for economic growth, however, there are still several possible challenges. To overcome these problems, I propose some recommendations including reviewing current regulation, giving more incentive, evaluating the management of urban forest, strengthening the function of related-institution, and educating society.