Vanishing islands<\/p>\n
Six out of a thousand may not sound like many -- nor, for that
\nmatter, would six out of 120, which is closer to the actual
\nnumber of islands contained in the Seribu (thousand) Islands
\ngroup just outside the Bay of Jakarta. That, perhaps, is why so
\nlittle attention has been given to reports this week that at
\nleast six of the islands have disappeared in recent years. After
\nall, presumably none of the islands had permanent populations or
\nhave been long abandoned by fishermen and their families.<\/p>\n
Our lack of concern for the vanishing islands would be
\nacceptable if their disappearance had been the result of some
\nnonviolent natural process, such as gradual erosion by wind or
\nsurf. But according to Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja last
\nyear, nine islands have disappeared due to uncontrolled sand
\nquarrying, the destruction of mangrove stands, the use of
\nexplosives for fishing, the destruction of coral reefs and the
\ndestruction of marine life due to the disposal of oil in the sea
\nby passing ships -- in short, due to quite a long list of man-
\nmade calamities.<\/p>\n
In the face of these facts, North Jakarta Mayor H. Suprawito's
\nclaim yesterday that he had heard of no report of any islands
\ndisappearing since 1992 has a rather apologetic ring. Before
\n1992, according to Suprawito, only four islands had disappeared.<\/p>\n
Which explanation should we believe? Dismal as the
\ndisappearance of islands may be -- especially, one might add, in
\nan archipelagic country such as ours -- it is not the number or
\nthe size of the islands that makes the case so lamentable.
\nRather, it is the disrespectful, irresponsible attitude that so
\nmany of us still seem to harbor with regard to our precious,
\neither unreplenishable or hard to replenish natural resources.<\/p>\n
Whether it is four, six, or nine islands, the fact is \"we know
\nthat problems exist in that area\", said HM Ali Rozi, head of the
\nJakarta Office for Urban and Environmental Studies. The city's
\nmeans to control fishing and protect the area's coral reefs and
\nother marine resources are limited. It is hard enough for
\nauthorities in Jakarta to cope with the capital's mounting
\npopulation pressures. But according to Rozi there is not much the
\ncity administration can do to curb the practice because \"the
\nquarrying permits are issued by the Ministry of Mines and
\nEnergy\".<\/p>\n
The same kind of mix-up in the division of authority between
\nthe central government and the city administration that hinders
\nthe effective supervision of other affairs -- traffic, for
\nexample -- is further hampering Jakarta's efforts to control the
\nsituation in the Seribu Islands.<\/p>\n
If there is anything that the vanishing islands has taught us
\n-- or should have taught us -- it's that all the various elements
\nthat help sustain the environment are interlinked. The
\ncooperation of everyone concerned is needed to preserve the
\nnatural environment. But straightening out the bureaucratic
\nclutter that hampers effective control is equally important.<\/p>\n
It will take a good deal of work, not to mention concern and
\nidealism, to make our environmental protection program work. But
\nthe result will be worth the trouble, for all of us and the
\nfuture.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vanishing-islands-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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