Emerging Third Sector Organizations

The number of NGO's working in Indonesia has increased from 6,000 in the 1990's to 8,000 today.  Third sector organizations that have emerged as leaders in addressing flooding and deforestation in Jakarta since the 2002 floods include:

• World Bank
• The Rockefeller Foundation
• Association of Indonesian Wildlife Lovers (Apecsi)
• Urban and Regional Development Institute (URDI)
• Mercy Corps Indonesia
• World Wildlife Fund
• Friends of the Earth  

Scores of conservation NGO's are working with city officials to amend Jakarta's flood driven malaise.  While conservation NGO's are wary of commercialization of forest products, policy and projects that do not address the needs and livelihoods of nearby communities are built on "questionable, practical and ethical foundations and thus, unlikely to succeed."  Often time, forest communities are left out of the negotiations is due to a lack of a coherent, outspoken representative from these populations.

(source)

Tactics employed:

Working in tandem with the Indonesian government, the World Bank, The Rockefeller Foundation, Association of Indonesian Wildlife Lovers (Apecsi), Urban and Regional Development Institute (URDI), Mercy Corps Indonesia are implementing and financing projects to educate Jakarta's youth, codify climate change initiatives into city policy and help return Jakarta to the previous flooding cycle of every 25 years.  The World Bank's "Towards a Better World Series" has focused on rebuilding Indonesian cities, teaching secondary school students about the impacts of rapid urban development and investing in infrastructure improvements to alleviate poverty and welcome sustainable development. 

-Andrew Trabulsi