Bogor and Jakarta floods a wake-up call for water management action

As heavy downpours in Bogor, West Java, threaten deadly and devastating floods in the nation’s capital of Jakarta, Indonesia again confronts the challenges of urban water management. “The causes of damaging flooding are manifold”, says Monash University’s Dr Christian Urich, “including outdated and repurposed drainage infrastructure, rapid urbanisation leading to more sealed surfaces, and climate […]

Helping travellers uncover Indonesia’s hidden gems

Is it possible that anyone who has flown to Bali would not notice the glaring contrast between the images used to promote this “island paradise” and what one sees on the ground? Nearly everyone must wonder for a moment if places like Kuta Beach and Ubud have become textbook examples of killing the goose that […]

Addressing the ‘macet’ problem of Jakarta

There are several words and phrases a visitor to Indonesia should learn. These include – Apa kabar? How are you? and Terima kasih Thank you. In Jakarta, the visitor will also quickly learn the word macet – traffic jam. I have yet to find a clear calculation of the cost of macet to the economy […]

Fighting the rise of non-communicable diseases starts with children and adolescents

Indonesia and Australia’s rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is being tackled with a suite of projects designed to bring attention to risk factors early in life and improve overall health. The work, which is supported by The Australia-Indonesia Centre, focuses on three areas: tobacco use, mental health and improving communication between healthcare providers and […]

Improving rail safety in Indonesia and Australia: The sweet spot for rail repair vs efficiency

Computer models to predict how railcars will respond to different track conditions are being developed by Indonesian and Australian researchers, to improve rail safety and efficiency in both countries. They’ve already created a successful model for passenger carriages, which has been validated against the performance of trains in Indonesia. Now the researchers are working on […]

Sustainable water solutions for Indonesian and Australian cities: recommendations from Greater Jakarta

With increasing urbanisation and effects of climate change, managing water infrastructure – to minimise flooding, support healthy environments, and ensure sanitation and supply requirements are met – is a challenging task. The Greater Jakarta region (Jabodetabek) has an estimated population of more than 10 million people, and could substantially benefit from new technologies for managing its […]