BABAKAN ASIH STORY

Located at the south part of Bandung formely known an area called Blok Tempe. In the past, this area is wellknown as the center for tempe production in Bandung. Later on, this area also called as kampung baru (babakan), a new village that are inhabited by few hundred people. Currently this area known as Babakan Asih and located at Bojongloa Kaler district.

This area is in a very strategic location since it is near by the center of economic activity in Bandung. The central city square can be reached within 10 minutes walk. Pasar Anyar (new market) that was develop in around 1970’s is only about 100 meter from Babakan Asih. This area is also located around 1 km from Leuwi Panjang central terminal and only around 200 meter from Tegalega recreation center. The access to highway gateway is can also be reach less than 5 km. Besides all, Babakan Asih is also located near by Immanuel Hospital, which attract many interest for a lot of people to stay in this area.

The environmental preservation program in Babakan Asih was formely a pilot project that was initiated by Babakan Asih local residence for the last 10 years. Started as a local community development project, they started to collaborate with Common Room Networks Foundation (Common Room) in 2008 as part of a program called “Sustainable Bandung”. This program is basically a regular discussion and brainstorming session to recognice and develop an alternative solution in order to improve ecological condition in Bandung.

This program was also part of follow up activities after we organized Nu-Substance Festival in 2008. The idea was being developed after having a conversation with Rob van Kranenburg during media & creativity discussion at Common Room. Sustainable Bandung Project aims to utilitize knowledge and technology in order to enhance creativity and inovation among civil society. This project is also an effort to develop ideas and vision on sustainable development for Bandung, trough series of brainstorming, discussion, research, and projects, including knowledge production and dissemination towards existing network and multidisciplinary collaboration that embraces local community, artist, designer, architect, urban planner, etc.

Later on this project was started trough a series of collaborative activity, were local community is developing their own GPS map to identified location and geographical contour of their neigborhood and designing a structure for well system that can prevent flood in the area. This project is also initiated a regular program that is focused to improve environmental condition in Babakan Asih. Beside working closely with Common Room and PT. URBANE Indonesia, Babakan Asih community is also collaborating with some other artist collective in Bandung, including F.A.B. and Otonomedia.

What has been achieved so far...

Around 17 wells that could absorb water has been built by local community in Babakan Asih at the moment. Sometime, if heavy rain comes, the flood still happen. But usually no longer than 30 minutes. Before they built the system, sometime the flood can happen for almost 7 days. Local community in Babakan Asih can also use the well to grow catfish during rain season. The fish could eat mosquito larva, so it also prevent malaria and dengue fever. If the fish is big enough, they can also sell the fish to the market nearby.

Hatur Nuhun.Thank You.Terimakasih!www.commonroom.info