BALIKPAPAN – A team of students from Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) presented an innovative coastal development concept through a scientific paper entitled “Development of a Nature-Based Solution Waterfront Mangrove to Reduce Coastal Abrasion and Improve the Quality of Public Spaces.” The work was submitted to the National Scientific Writing Competition of the 11th Euphoria Biology Festival (EUPHORBIO), organized by the Biology Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), Universitas Mulawarman, in Samarinda, East Kalimantan.

The ITK team was led by Nurmayati, together with Afrah Malika Inaya and Muhammad Dzaky Fathi Fawwaz Nawawi, both Architecture students from the 2024 cohort. Throughout the development of the project, the team was supervised by Ar. Rizky Nur Rahman, S.Ars., M.Ars., IAI.

The idea was developed in response to several challenges faced by coastal areas, including abrasion, mangrove ecosystem degradation, and the underutilization of public spaces. The team selected Pantai Hutan Mangrove Pendopo in Teritip, Balikpapan, as the study area. The site has significant ecological and tourism potential, with approximately 52 hectares of mangrove area, yet still faces environmental degradation, abrasion, and limited public facilities.

Using a Nature-Based Solution (NbS) approach, the team proposed a waterfront development concept that places mangroves at the center of coastal protection while integrating ecological functions with community needs for public space. The proposed area is divided into several functional zones, including an arrival zone, nursery area, mangrove conservation zone, and public zone, with physical interventions designed to minimize disruption to the existing ecosystem.

The concept is not only intended to reduce the impacts of coastal abrasion, but also to transform the area into a space for education, recreation, and community interaction. Maintenance, monitoring, mangrove rehabilitation, and community participation are also incorporated into the concept to ensure that the development remains sustainable in the long term.

In preparation for the competition, the team conducted site surveys, literature reviews on mangrove ecosystems, coastal abrasion, public spaces, and Nature-Based Solutions, as well as precedent studies related to coastal development. The findings were then used to analyze the site’s conditions and potential before formulating the waterfront mangrove development concept. Prior to the final stage, the team also carried out evaluations, refined the proposal, practiced their presentation, and conducted question-and-answer simulations.

Participating in EUPHORBIO 11 provided the students with an opportunity to apply architectural knowledge to broader environmental challenges. The competition also helped them strengthen their skills in research, critical thinking, teamwork, and communicating innovative ideas to a wider audience.

“We hope this experience can motivate us and other students to continue challenging ourselves, innovating, and taking part in more academic opportunities and competitions in the future,” the team said.

Through this initiative, ITK students demonstrate that architecture is not only about designing buildings, but can also contribute to ecosystem conservation, coastal resilience, and the development of more adaptive and sustainable public spaces.