Living informally in a former Surabaya municipal landfill and situated close to the Wonokromo River, lower-income groups face complex challenges, including limited access to clean water, a deteriorated living ecosystem, and threats of eviction and climate change. Groundwater pollution from leachate, inaccessibility to municipal water utilities due to a lack of formal land ownership, and polluted river water have left these communities struggling for nearly ten years to obtain access to basic water needs. Coupled with climate change, they also face water-related risks such as urban floods, river floods, water scarcity, rising urban temperatures, and food production loss.
The project proposes a retrofit strategy for Surabaya’s water system at both the household and kampung scales. It aims to adapt water into circular economy principles by exploring rainwater as an alternative water source, designing out waste and reusing resources through wastewater and stormwater management, and regenerating natural ecosystems through water infiltration and groundwater recharge.
The approach employs nature-based solutions (NBS), balancing blue and green infrastructure with biobased materials and low-tech solutions designed to be implemented by local communities. At the urban and landscape scale, the design includes creating a buffer zone by stepping back from the river edge to restore the river’s original function and provide flood protection for the community. At the housing level, retrofit strategies involve harvesting rainwater and adding lightweight bamboo structures to create two-story houses, with the upper level serving as a flood shelter. At the community level, each household is equipped with shared gutters, rain barrels, water purification systems, and a water point square featuring a rainwater tap module, infiltration pond, and water storage for the dry season.
This project delivers a set of strategies for retrofitting the kampung’s water system in Surabaya at macro (kampung), meso (street kampung), and micro (household) scales. It aims to make these vulnerable groups self-sufficient, enhance their health and wellbeing, and help them contribute to the recovery of their living ecosystem.