3 - Rivers and Relocation: A Study of the Displaced Urban Poor in Kampung Bukit Duri

This study examines the displacement and relocation of the urban poor residents in Kampung Bukit Duri, located along the Ciliwung riverbank. In 2016, the kampung was demolished, and its residents were evicted to make way for a government-led river normalization project aimed at flood mitigation in Jakarta. In a remarkable turn of events, the residents took collective legal action against the government and won a class-action lawsuit. As a result, as of 2023, the residents relocated to the newly constructed vertical housing, namely Kampung Susun Produktif Tumbuh Cakung. The research examines how this forced displacement and the consequent change in the community's relationship with the river have led to specific socio-economic shifts in the everyday life of the kampung residents. It seeks to understand the intricate interplay between forced relocations and environmental policymaking that has affected the lives of the communities by detaching the connection of its residents to the river. [Keywords: River normalization, eviction, displacement, kampung.]