Rapid deforestation threatens botanical gardens<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Anyone who has ever traveled to Puncak resort can easily
\nobserve the presence of vegetables farms and luxurious houses on
\nthe hills along the road that lead to the Cibodas Botanical
\nGarden in Cianjur Regency, West Java.<\/p>\n
Some of the houses and vegetable farms can be found along the
\nriverbanks and on steep hills where, in the event of torrential
\nrain, they are vulnerable to landslides.<\/p>\n
The houses and vegetables farms also have displaced water
\ncatchment areas in the region.<\/p>\n
A recent survey conducted by the Cibodas Botanical Garden
\nrevealed that water catchment areas -- deemed to be very
\nimportant for water conservation and prevention of floods, during
\nthe rainy season -- now only account for 12 percent of
\n322-square-kilometer area upstream of Ciliwung River around the
\ngarden.<\/p>\n
The survey concluded that massive population growth in the
\nlast 20 years had taken a toll in the degradation of the water
\ncatchment areas in Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur (Bopunjur), West
\nJava and would, in the long run, encroach on the botanical garden
\nitself.<\/p>\n
The head of the Cibodas Botanical Garden, Holif Immamudin,
\nsaid that rapid deforestation had also resulted in the increase
\nof temperatures in the garden.<\/p>\n
\"Twenty years ago the temperature here ranged from 16 to 17
\ndegrees Celsius, but now it averages around 18,\" he told
\nreporters who were on a field trip in the botanical garden on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
He said that unless the deforestation was halted soon, the
\npopulation in the area would suffer the consequences.<\/p>\n
According to Holif, regular flooding in Jakarta and a recent
\nstring of landlsides in West Java were the result of the
\nvanishing water catchment areas.<\/p>\n
\"If this haphazard land conversion is not stopped, Jakarta
\nwill also run short of ground water in the next 10 years,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
An employee at the botanical garden, Didin Nurdin, said most
\npeople came to the park for its cool weather. But the temperature
\nhad increased by one degree Celsius in each passing decade.<\/p>\n
Both agreed that a violation of the regulations pertaining to
\nthe natural conservation had sped up the environmental
\ndegradation here.<\/p>\n
\"The minister of forestry's decree No.284\/1999 on water
\ncatchment areas stipulates that no building can be constructed
\nwithin 100 meters of the riverside, but here you can easily see
\nthat a house was built very close to the river,\" Holif told The
\nJakarta Post while pointing at one violator's home.<\/p>\n
He also suggested that the central government take over the
\nmanagement of the water catchment areas from the local
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"Local governments willing give permission for the
\nconstruction of houses in the water catchment areas simply out of
\nfinancial considerations, but without taking natural preservation
\ninto account,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Because what is at stake is the life of the botanical garden
\nitself, Holif said that the garden's management had embarked on a
\ncampaign to save the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n
\"We have prepared a large number of seedlings for a
\nreforestation drive,\" he said, adding that the botanical garden
\ncould not start the reforestation program by itself.<\/p>\n
Currently, the management of the botanical garden in
\ncollaboration with the Surrey, U.K.-based Botanical Gardens
\nConservation International (BCGI) is undertaking a program called
\nInvesting in Nature.<\/p>\n
The program is aimed at educating teachers about natural
\nconservation.<\/p>\n
\"Currently there are around 300 teachers involved in
\nactivities ranging from lectures, garden tours and discussions,\"
\nsaid Bian Tan, the BCGI's South east Asia program coordinator.<\/p>\n
He hoped that after the program, the teachers could educate
\ntheir students on the importance of nature and the environment,
\nand how severe the environmental devastation has become.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rapid-deforestation-threatens-botanical-gardens-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}