Supporting farmers and improving crop sustainability are the focus of collaborative work to save Indonesia’s ailing cocoa bean yields.
Production of cocoa beans for chocolate making is big business in Indonesia, especially in Sulawesi—where from the 1970s to 1990s, production grew from almost nothing to around 1.5 million hectares of smallholder plantings, and the third-largest production output in the world.
• Sharing expertise, not pests
• International demand for Indonesian coffee
• Safer farms for poultry and people
• Indonesia’s “cocoa-boom” threatened
Ways to improve the sustainability and productivity of various forms of agriculture are being approached in many ways by Indonesia and Australia.
Commercialising the technology or the next generation of lithium batteries is the target for a team of Indonesian and Australian scientists, who are backed by battery manufacturer PT Nipress Tbk.
Lithium batteries allow for a large amount of energy to be packed into a small space. But they’re costly compared to single use ‘disposable’ batteries, and have special requirements for transportation and storage.
Continue reading Joining the race for better, safer lithium batteries
Traditional buildings in Indonesia make use of ‘passive’ cooling techniques.
Being well ventilated, raised off the ground, and with shady verandas, their design allows them to stay cool in a tropical climate without air conditioning. The classic timber ‘Queenslander’ house also follows a similar design.
Continue reading Designing the coolest and most efficient tropical houses
A team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and the Australian National University (ANU) are planning to use thousands of sensors to monitor heat, noise, human activity and power usage in commercial buildings in Yogyakarta. This data will help them design a real-time monitoring system that saves energy and can be used in commercial buildings across Indonesia.
Energy demand in Indonesia has grown by 150 per cent over the last 30 years. Electricity supply is struggling to keep up—blackouts are common in hospitals, hotels, offices, shopping centres and university laboratories.
Continue reading An end to Indonesia’s hospital power blackouts? Sensing reductions in energy use
Every shipping manager wages an endless battle against fouling—the bacteria, seaweed, barnacles and other marine life that take residence on the hull of ships.
This biofouling is thought to add more than 20 per cent to the fuel costs of commercial shipping—that’s a big cost for the maritime trading nations of Australia and Indonesia.
Heart attacks, cancers, mental disorders, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are on the rise in Indonesia and Australia. In 2007 they caused 60 per cent of Indonesian deaths; by 2014 this had risen to more than 70 per cent.
NCDs also account for over 90 per cent of Australian deaths. More than half the country’s adults are considered overweight or obese and a 2014 study found Australia’s obesity rate was rising faster than anywhere else in the world.
Continue reading Fighting the new killers: The Australia- Indonesia Centre Health Cluster
• Putting a figure on the cost of algae to ships
• Better, safer lithium batteries
• Designing the coolest tropical houses
• The Australia-Indonesia Energy Cluster
• An end to Indonesia’s hospital power blackouts?
The geography of Indonesia and Australia—one a densely populated network of many islands, the other a vast continent containing remote and rural communities—can make energy a challenge. Both countries are working towards cleaner, more efficient energy.
Credit for banner image: Nadia Astari.
Opportunities for alternative livelihoods in fishing communities in Indonesia are being investigated by a team of Indonesian and Australian scientists.
They’re working to understand fisheries and the options for women in coastal areas, while reducing the pressure on targeted marine resources.
Small-scale fisheries are an important source of food security and income in developing countries. Many are also growing into international exporters, but they can place a huge strain on fish populations.
Continue reading What roles do women play in fishing communities?
How can cities grow and thrive in an era of climate change? This is a challenge faced by both Australia and Indonesia. With ever-increasing population shifts towards urban environments, it is crucial to make cities sustainable.
Australian cities are adopting water sensitive approaches. Melbourne Water, for example, has created over 10,000 raingardens. But progress is slow, in part because of the existing massive traditional water infrastructure.
