Jembatan Besi, Jakarta, Indonesia 
Facts (location ect.)
Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia, a country of 256 million people making it the 5th largest in the world.
Of these, around 10 million live in the capital
Just over a quarter of of Jakarta's inhabitants live in slum settlements but many other live in districts which Acs would call slums
Jembatan Besi is a slum in Jakarta about 4km northwest of the city centre
Jembatan besi has a population of about 4000 and is one of Jakarta's most densely populated districts
The inhabitants include people whose families have lived there for several generations but also migrant workers who only stay for a few months
Social and economic conditions
People live in slums like Jembatan Besi as the demand for housing is much higher than the supply and the government doesn't have the resources to cope with increasing numbers of people wanting to live in Jakarta
Most people in Jembatan Besi struggle to make ends meet, the average income of residents is about US $4 a day
Employment is often insecure with most residents able to provide only unskilled and casual labour
There is a lot of self-employment with families running small businesses, selling food or second hand goods
Jakarta has a significant garment industry and there are many small-scale producers operating in and around the slum areas; there are little protection for those employed in these small factories and few health and safety precautions
Health
Health is a major concern as sanitation hardly exists in Jembatan Besi
Few homes have a toilet and although there are toilets in the slum, they are poorly built and run for profit by local businesses; these toilets tend to flush out into open sewers in the street
There is no clean running water. Groundwater supplies are available but are polluted because Jembatan is built on a former waste tip.
Epidemics of water-borne diseases such a cholera and typhoid are common
The tropical hot and humid climate means that malaria is an issue, as is hepatitis A.
The very young and elderly are at risk from dehydration due to diarrhoea cause by poor hygeine
Schools are mostly poorly equiped, too often families cannot allow their children to complete their formal education because they need to earn money to support family incomes; the garment industry is a major source of employment for many young females
Housing conditions
Jembatan besi is one of the most densely populated places in Indonesia
Most homes consist of a relatively well built ground floor using timber and brick
This represents the original house that was built but as pressures on space has grown, extra stories have been added
Residents make use of any materials they can find, scrap wood and metal being common
Fire is a constant risk due to overcrowding, the use of kerosene and the improvised nature of electrical wiring, most of which suffers from serious over-loading
The future?
The urban authorities are trying to make inroads in the worst areas but planning is difficult and non-existent in most slums
The Jakarta housing and administrative buildings agency has identified 392 'community units' that are slum areas planned for improvement. However, slum clearance to allow rebuilding has tended to result in people relocating to other slum areas and making the situation worse there
However, there if often a strong sense of community within the slums. Their inhabitants are remarkably reselient; they just about make ends meet and look to build a better future for themselves and their children