Officials ignore warnings on real environmental threats<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The city administration have turned a deaf ear to the warnings of
\nexperts that future floods could be worse if they fail to
\nmaintain or even expand the number of green areas in the city.<\/p>\n
Planners, environmentalists and other experts often link the
\nproblem of flooding to the lack of green areas in the city as
\nviolations of the principles of environmentally friendly
\ndevelopment continue.<\/p>\n
\"It is typical of the city officials that they always try to
\npursue short-term benefits as much as possible without
\nconsidering the long-term problems that result,\" said Ahmad
\n\"Puput' Safrudin of the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Forum
\nfor the Environment (Walhi).<\/p>\n
Puput was commenting on the planned development of a new
\nbusiness center in a 40-square-meter area of Senayan that comes
\nunder the control of the Senayan sports complex authority in
\nCentral Jakarta, and which was originally zoned as a public,
\ngreen area.<\/p>\n
There have been a number of controversial projects constructed
\nin the Senayan area, including the Mulia Hotel, Plaza Senayan and
\nTaman Ria Senayan.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso has agreed to reconstruct the fire-razed
\nflea market in Taman Puring in South Jakarta, whose location
\naccording to the 2010 city master plan is supposed to be a green
\narea. He also approved the construction of a controversial sports
\nmall in Kelapa Gading, East Jakarta, that was originally zoned
\nfor social and public facilities.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Association
\nof Planners (IAP) Abdul Alim Salam said the city would eventually
\npay an expensive price for the administration's lack of
\ncommitment to the environment.<\/p>\n
If the development of a business centers in Senayan continued,
\nit would cause environmental problems. But more problems would
\narise if the city needed more land for sports facilities in the
\nfuture, he said.<\/p>\n
Puput said the administration should expand the green areas in
\nthe city from the present nine percent to about 14 percent of the
\ntotal area of Jakarta as mandated by the city master plan up to
\n2010.<\/p>\n
\"How can the city administration increase the number of green
\nareas if it continues to violate the land use policies set out in
\nthe city master plan,\" said Puput, adding that the ideal extent
\nof green areas should be 30 percent of the total area of the
\ncity.<\/p>\n
Wicaksono Sarosa, an executive director of the Urban and
\nRegional Development Institute (URDI), said that worse flooding
\nwould not be the only consequence of the dwindling green spaces.<\/p>\n
The city would become hotter due to the loss of green spaces
\nand because more people would buy air conditioners.<\/p>\n
\"So, those who suffer most will be the people who are not able
\nto afford air conditioners,\" said Wicaksono.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/officials-ignore-warnings-on-real-environmental-threats-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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