Storing the Masses

Photograph by Sebastio Salgado

Jakarta, Indonesia. 1996.

In indonesia the population has been slowly declining over the past few decades. "From 4.5% in 1961-1971 to 4.0% in 1971-1980 to 2.4% in the 1990s"(Perlman). This declining number, however, grew from a declining rate, to a papidly increasing of 300,000 people a year between 1980s-1990s. The Jakarta Metropolitan Area grew to have 11.5 million people in 1995. This increased by a growth rate of 2.1%. Now with such a rapid growth rate many people did not have homes, forcing them to live under bridges, or on streets. Roughly 6/10 people lived in a kampung. Kampung also called a "kampong" is known as a small village.

Although these numbers seem incredibly high there is help. In 1969 Jakarta implemented a Kampung Improvement Program. "the Program provided infrastructure in the form of roads, footpaths, drainage, public toilets, elementary school buildings, health clinics, garbage boxes and carts, and public water taps" (Perlman). While funding was barely enough to meet the need of the people, the United States contributed $118 a person. While it seems hard to see how you can provide all of the needs of the people for only $118 a person, the program was actually quite successful. "The program received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1980, and was recognized by the June 1996 Habitat II Conference in Istanbul as one of the best tools for overcoming urban housing problems"(Perlman).

If you are interested in more information from this topic you can go to

http://megacitiesproject.org/network_jakarta.asp

Work Cited Page

Perlman, Janice. "Jakarta Indonesia." The Mega-Cities Project: Global Network 2007.
3 March 2010

Photograph

Salgado, Sebastiao. Photograph. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture. New York, 2000. 423.