Rolling back Jakarta's unhealthy urban desert<\/p>\n
Robert Kelly, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Believe it or not, Jakarta used to be a green city. Surrounded
\nby lush jungle during its early colonial history, even as late as
\nthe 1950s large swathes of the suburbs consisted of farmland.<\/p>\n
No longer, of course. Since independence, the twin forces of
\neconomic development and population growth have literally
\nbulldozed their way through the city's greenery. For every area
\nthat has managed to retain some of its old charm -- Pasar Rebo,
\nCilincing or Kuningan, for example -- there are far more that
\nhave become urban deserts.<\/p>\n
And that is becoming a serious problem. Trees are natural air
\npurifiers: A healthy tree can filter out as many as seven
\nthousand dust and smoke particles per liter of air, ridding the
\natmosphere of substances directly linked to respiratory disease.
\nTrees can reduce storm-water flows by intercepting rainfall and
\nabsorbing moisture from the ground. And, as Seoul discovered when
\nit planted 15 million trees in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup,
\ntrees can noticeably cool the urban environment, by providing
\nshade and by evaporating water from leaves. Suitably situated
\ntrees can lower a building's air conditioning requirements by up
\nto 70 percent each year -- of clear value to a government
\ncurrently grappling with an energy crisis.<\/p>\n
In short, trees simultaneously address three of Jakarta's
\nprincipal problems: Air pollution, flooding and energy
\nconsumption. So why are they fast becoming an endangered species
\nin the capital?<\/p>\n
Government initiatives to stem the tide have proved largely
\nineffective. It's difficult to see how Jakarta's \"cleanliness,
\nbeauty and coolness\" have improved since the Regional Development
\nPlanning Board chose to highlight them in 1981.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto's \"Year Of The Environment\" in 1993 and
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri's s \"Green Jakarta\" program ten
\nyears later do not appear to have had long-lasting effects. Green
\nareas now account for barely 10 percent of Jakarta's surface
\narea: Compare that with the 38 percent coverage boasted by
\nBeijing, a city not unfamiliar with rapid development.<\/p>\n
By some measures, Jakarta is now the third most polluted city
\nin the world, after Bangkok and Mexico City. The city is
\nconstantly bathed in a visible haze of harmful pollutants:
\nsulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and smoke. According to
\nthe City Environmental Management Agency (BPLDH), Jakarta
\nexperienced just 26 days of \"good\" air quality in 2003.<\/p>\n
Flooding is also worsening, exacerbated by the city's natural
\n\"sponges\" -- swamps, woodland, lakes -- being progressively
\nbuilt over by impermeable concrete. In a city where just 3
\npercent of the population is directly connected to a sewer
\nsystem, overflowing rivers and roadside trenches represent a real
\npublic health hazard.<\/p>\n
Addressing Jakarta's environmental problems is clearly a major
\ntask, requiring the coordinated efforts of national and
\nprovincial government. The pressures are daunting. Jakarta can
\nexpect continued population growth in the years to come, and
\nvehicle emissions, responsible for three-quarters of the city's
\nair pollution, are growing by 5 percent each year.<\/p>\n
But there are positive signs. Lapangan Merdeka and Senayan
\nsports complex represent notable oases in Jakarta's urban desert.
\nFurther out, Ancol recreation area, Ragunan Zoo, Cibubur camping
\narea and Taman Mini all provide valuable opportunities for
\nJakarta's residents to relax in green surroundings.<\/p>\n
And solutions do exist to Jakarta's environmental problems.
\nFor example, the Clean Air Program, part of the city's Five Year
\nRegional Development Plan, envisages more stringent vehicle
\nemission controls. Pilot studies have shown that proper testing
\nof buses and taxis can reduce their emissions by up to 90
\npercent.<\/p>\n
But the most effective environmental tool at the government's
\ndisposal may also be one of the most straightforward to
\nimplement: Simply plant more trees.<\/p>\n
Beijing, facing many of the same problems as Jakarta, has
\nturned to a massive tree-planting program to help clean up its
\nenvironment in time for the 2008 Olympics. All large roads and
\nboulevards in Beijing have now been planted with rows of at least
\ntwo tree species, and seven vast areas of vegetation -- with a
\ncombined area of 175 square kilometers -- are being established
\nbetween the city center and the suburbs. The intention is to
\ndedicate 43 percent of the city's total land area to trees and
\nvegetation by 2008: That's more than Washington, DC, which has
\nlong prided itself on being one of America's greenest cities.<\/p>\n
Jakarta would have much to gain by following Beijing's
\nexample. By launching a concerted program of tree-planting along
\nroadsides, river banks and in other public spaces, and by
\noffering subsidized trees to firms and private households for
\nplanting in office complexes and gardens, Jakarta could return to
\nits historical roots and, once again, become a truly green city.<\/p>\n
The writer is a freelance British journalist living in
\nJakarta. and can be reached at robert_em_kelly@yahoo.co.uk<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rolling-back-jakartas-unhealthy-urban-desert-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}