Our aim is to develop an inclusive governance roadmap to transform Indonesian cities towards social-ecological resilience that builds capacity to mitigate water-related disasters and enhances people’s well-being. We follow a comparative case study approach to acquire new knowledge and insights on the social-ecological interactions involved in different water-related (qualitative and quantitative) problems (i.e. flooding, access to clean drinking water and sanitation) in slum areas in three different locations in Indonesia: Pontianak, Manado and Bima. They represent most of the social and water challenges Indonesian cities face nowadays. Our project builds upon research conducted between 2018 and 2020 by our collaborating partner Deltares to design for flood resilient cities (Letitre et al., forthcoming in 2020). Our interdisciplinary team will gather more contextual social and water quality data, while paying appropriate attention to their interactions to create a more integrative approach to mitigate the risk of water-related disasters. As such, we build a model incorporating people and water. The results will help develop a generic transformative change strategy to include: an (e-)learning programme, training-of-trainers and workshops, as well as a roadmap to develop an inclusive governance plan integrating both societal and technical solutions. The study will synthesise resilience and well-being in a relational approach to strengthen and broaden knowledge on urban communities resilience to ecological change. In so doing, we will create a better understanding of how complex systems evolve and how individuals and societies are simultaneously embedded within and act as agents of change in those systems. This can provide guidance for more inclusive governance to co-create resilient Indonesian slums. It also envisions the RISE to the water challenge applying across whole urban regions, both old, new and those still in the making, such as the proposed new Indonesian capital.

Our experience with the recent COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the importance of having a reliable healthcare system that is capable to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. PARAATHEID research project aims at protecting public health by developing a guideline for investing in a resilient healthcare system that includes, among others, strengthening monitoring systems, improving healthcare capacity, empowering community to promote public health behaviours (such as daily hygiene and social distancing). In doing so, healthcare systems will be able to better prepare and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, ultimately reducing economic and social costs of pandemics.

Energy is important in supporting economic development. For the rapidly growing economy of Indonesia, a reliable and sustainable energy supply is crucial. This is in line with Indonesian energy policy which requires 25% of electricity to be obtained from new renewable energy sources by the year 2025. Bali, Indonesia’s gateway for tourism, and Kalimantan, the proposed location of Indonesia’s new capital, need a clean and reliable energy supply. The objective of this project is to develop a strategic energy implementation plan for Bali and Kalimantan which ensures regional economic growth for both regions and minimizes carbon dioxide emissions. The research is organised in 9 work packages most of which are executed in cooperation between Indonesian and Netherlands’ partners. Key elements are: 1) mapping of renewable energy resources in this region. The focus will be on the development of small hydropower and sustainable bio-energy resources, combined with land restoration. Also, other renewable energy resources, including wind, solar and ocean energy will be considered. 2) design of energy systems for this region with increasing shares of renewable resources. The entire energy system, including energy demand development, demand side management, conversion, transportation, storage and production will be included. Special focus is on the development of reliable energy supply chains and power systems. 3) strategy and policy development in co-creation with all the relevant stakeholders. Part of this is a policy impact analysis and an extended stakeholder engagement process. The implementation plan and pathway will reduce CO2 emissions and ensure regional economic development and resource trading beneficial to both regions.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) occurring in poultry represents a serious threat to human, animal and environmental health. In Indonesia, this problem is particularly pressing, due to the large number of small-scale poultry farms, which are at high risk for HPAI outbreaks. This project aims to make the Indonesian healthcare system more resilient against HPAI. In this project, multiple stakeholders will be involved, particularly public authorities, healthcare and wildlife workers, farmers and community members. Multiple approaches will also be used, including those from policy, public health, infectious disease epidemiology, microbiology and data science.