Redefining Urban Riparian Zones in Bangung: Integrating Ecosystem Services Approach and Suitable Vegetation Identification to Flook Risk Reduction

Authors and Collaborators:

• Dyah Ayu Retnowati, Institut Teknologi Bandung

Summary:

Flooding is one of the most persistent urban challenges in Indonesia, which is increasingly intensified by climate change, rapid urbanization, and declining environmental capacity. Bandung City, a central metropolitan and economic hub in Indonesia, experiences recurrent flooding that intersects with slum proliferation and riparian degradation. This study develops riparian zoning based on ecosystem services (ES) and social conditions to support flood-risk reduction and sustainable river management in Bandung. Using a combination of geospatial analysis, flood and slum mapping, multiple-ES assessment (water regulation, habitat and biodiversity support, and flood protection), vegetation suitability analysis, and field validation, the research identifies critical relationships between ecological capacity and social vulnerability. Our results indicate that about 42.7% of Bandung’s area is flood-affected, with nearly one-fifth of slum areas lying within river buffers. Over 75% of the city exhibits low environmental capacity and riparian zones showing particularly weak ES performance. We proposed a zoning framework to redefine riparian areas by combining ES indices, flood hazards, and social exposure to classify them into Protection, Restoration, and Management zones. We also recommend native vegetation restoration, green-blue infrastructure, and slum upgrading as integrated strategies. The approach strengthens ecosystem-based adaptation, promotes socially inclusive river governance, and offers a transferable model for urban flood resilience planning in other Indonesian cities. 

Note:

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