Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) Undip has received a KONEKSI research grant (https://koneksi-kpp.id/id/) from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for a collaborative research project with Griffith University and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The research, titled “Forced labour and climate change: Keeping a focus on women and children,” aims to examine the issue of forced labor in the context of climate change, specifically concerning women and children. The study focuses on the northern coastal areas of Java, particularly in Jakarta, Pekalongan, Semarang, and Demak.
In this research, DURP Undip collaborates with local NGOs in Semarang, namely Initiative for Urban Climate Change and Environment (IUCCE – https://ikupi.org/en/home/) and the Center for Regional Studies and Information (PATTIRO) Semarang (https://pattiro-semarang.org/). IUCCE actively works towards achieving urban resilience for climate and environmental changes, while PATTIRO is a think tank dedicated to monitoring constitutional compliance in public resource management policies and governance reforms. For this project, DURP Undip involves IUCCE and PATTIRO in organizing roundtable discussions and focus group discussions (FGDs) that invite government officials and community members from the study areas to gather more information on issues related to labor, gender, and climate change. By engaging IUCCE and PATTIRO, who have extensive experience in community relations, the discussions are expected to be more comprehensive and provide valuable input for future research phases.
This initiative aims to serve as a model for collaboration between academia and non-governmental organizations in creating effective and sustainable solutions to the challenges faced by society. It also supports the achievement of SDG 11, “Sustainable Cities and Communities,” SDG 13, “Climate Action”, and serves as an example of SDG 17, “Partnerships for the Goals.” Through this collaboration, a strong synergy is anticipated in the development of policies that are more responsive to community needs.