Intern for Sustainable Urban Finance (Jakarta based)

Tags: internship climate change finance English Environment
  • Added Date: Friday, 20 June 2025
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Program Overview

WRI Deep Dive program, which fosters long-term, scaled-up strategic engagement with over 32 cities globally, including 14 cities that have maintained sustained involvement across multiple program cycles. The initiative focuses on locally driven strategic projects that serve as entry points for fostering long-term, cross-sectoral, and transformative urban change within countries. Through multi-year engagement, cross-sectoral technical expertise, and trusted partnershipsโ€”exemplified by cities like Bangalore, Bogotรก, and ฤฐstanbulโ€”the Deep Dive Cities Initiative supports sustainable urban development and systemic change.

Jakarta faces a unique urban paradox: while its population density is among the highest in the world, its structural density remains low, with a strong cultural and market preference for landed housing. Vertical housing options are still limited and often socially exclusive, contributing to unchecked horizontal sprawl into informal peri-urban areas. This pattern has led to the proliferation of poorly structured \"kampung\" settlements, which are highly vulnerable to social, economic, and environmental risksโ€”including limited access to services, economic inefficiency, public health concerns, land subsidence, frequent flooding, and fire hazards. To address these challenges, a scalable Vertical Land Consolidation (VLC) strategy tailored to neighborhood parcel sizes and socio-economic conditions is urgently needed. By identifying high-priority areas and integrating spatial, social, and environmental data, VLC offers a strategic approach to optimize land use, enhance livability, and support evidence-based urban planning in Jakarta.

General Internship Role

Sustainable Urban Finance Intern will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of financing strategies and tailored business models for an innovative Vertical Land Consolidation (VLC) scheme. This internship offers a hands-on learning experience through collaboration with policy, urban planning, and finance teams to assess the financial viability of housing and land development projects targeting income deciles 2โ€“4 and 5โ€“8. The Intern will be actively involved in developing financial modelsโ€”including Business Model Canvasesโ€”conducting Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) analyses, comparing different financing schemes, and supporting the design of business models that balance affordability, risk, and long-term financial sustainability.

Based in Jakarta with office-flex working arrangement, the intern will report directly to Urban Mobility Engagement Specialist. In support of WRI's DEI commitment, you are responsible for actively participating in these collaborative efforts by integrating equity into your work, our workplace, and the organizational culture.

What You Will Learn

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