The third edition of Asia Raincraft takes place in Bali, Indonesia, using Lapangan Puputan Renon Area as its case study location. Given the site’s importance to the local communities and its series of water and climate issues, Lapangan Puputan Renon was chosen as the best fit for the program. Various communities and water bodies surrounding the area were also a benefit point, as Bali Raincraft aims to expose the participants to the issues of water and climate change that can be found on the neighborhood scale.
Let’s dive deeper into the case study location!
Located in the southern part of Bali’s capital city, Denpasar, Lapangan Puputan Renon is one of the favorite open public spaces that offer various activities for the locals and international visitors. From having a cultural trip to exercising or even relaxing with your family and friends, you can do it all in the approximately 3.26 km2 area of this field. This tourism destination is famous for its iconic Monumen Bajra Sandhi (Bajra Sandhi Monument), which gallantly stands in the middle of the field, built to commemorate the past struggle of the Balinese people in driving away invaders from this Island of Gods.
Lapangan Puputan Renon can be easily accessed from Sanur Beach by a 15-minute ride, as the field is about 3 km from the coastal area. According to several sources during The Water Agency’s site visit on the 5th of June 2023, one of them is from UPTD Monumen Bajra Sandhi representative, Lapangan Puputan Renon was initially a rice field area that was transformed into the now public space; hence, there are many irrigational paths left in the site that we can observe.
What are the concerning water and climate issues?
Despite having a large green area, flooding often occurs in Lapangan Puputan Renon and its surroundings due to the overspill from the site’s drainage (see Figure on the left (Radar Bali, 2023)). High-intensity rainfall and vast quantities of waste in the drainage and sewage channel were observed to be the leading cause of the flood issue in the region. Sedimentation and wastes from the upstream river and also the coast tidal activities contribute to worsening the condition, said Mr. AA Ngurah Bagus Airawata, the Head of the Public Works and Public Housing Department in Denpasar (Bali Post, 2022).
The UPTD Monumen Bajra Sandhi representative also stated during The Water Agency’s site visit that the area’s vadose zone, also commonly known as the unsaturated zone, is shallow, leading to a low infiltration capacity. The unsaturated zone refers to the area between the ground surface and the groundwater table that contains both water and air (USGS, 2017). This zone crucially influences the groundwater quality, as it manages the rate of water that moves from the surface into the saturated zone and controls the level of contaminants entering groundwater (USGS, 2017). In other words, because the study area has a shallow unsaturated zone, the water infiltration rate will take a longer time and consequently cause the park to be inundated during a heavy rain event.
The issue of saltwater intrusion in the Lapangan Puputan Renon area was also mentioned during the site visit, emphasizing that the saline water has caused a depletion in the region’s groundwater quality and made it salty. According to USGS (2019), saltwater from the ocean is generally kept from encroaching inland by fresh groundwater that discharges to the shore. However, saltwater intrusion can occur if too much freshwater is extracted from the aquifer system, causing it to be unsuitable to be used. Hence, this has been becoming another water concern for the Renon people, primarily due to the fast progress of the intrusion process.
All these issues will be addressed through a series of training, discussion, and co-design by using Minecraft as the serious game method platform. Having said that, Bali Raincraft represents the effort to combat the re-occurring concerns from a different approach and highlights that a collaboration with the community shall provide a significant impact in the mitigation support. Moreover, this program also intends to deliver effective solutions in tackling water and climate issues that can assist in developing a more resilient and sustainable city.
Reference:
- Bali Post. (2022). Cegah Banjir, Pembersihan Saluran Air dan Sungai di Denpasar Digencarkan. Retrieved from https://www.balipost.com/news/2022/01/05/241381/Cegah-Banjir,Pembersihan-Saluran-Air…html
- Pegipegi. (2022). Jelajah Monumen Bajra Sandhi, Sejarah Perjuangan Rakyat Bali. Retrieved from https://www.pegipegi.com/travel/jelajah-monumen-bajra-sandhi-sejarah-perjuangan-rakyat-bali/
- Radar Bali. (2023). Aduh! Lapangan Puputan Margarana Niti Mandala Renon Benyah Latig, Begini Cuitan Masyarakat Kota. Retrieved from https://radarbali.jawapos.com/berita-daerah/701720543/aduh-lapangan-puputan-margarana-niti-mandala-renon-benyah-latig-begini-cuitan-masyarakat-kota
- Tribun Bali. (2020). Begini Analisis Penyebab Banjir di Renon Denpasar Hingga Picu Kepadatan Lalu Lintas. Retrieved from https://bali.tribunnews.com/2020/03/08/begini-analisis-penyebab-banjir-di-renon-denpasar-hingga-picu-kepadatan-lalu-lintas
- USGS – United States Geological Survey. (2017). USGS Groundwater Information: Unsaturated Zone. Retrieved from https://water.usgs.gov/ogw/unsaturated.html
- USGS – United States Geological Survey. (2019). Saltwater Intrusion. Retrieved from https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/saltwater-intrusion#overview
