City environmental health still poor, expert says

JAKARTA (JP): An expert on environmental health expressed concern on Saturday over the poor development of environmental health in the capital, due to the reluctance on the part of most Jakartans to adjust their old norms to the present conditions.

Umar Fahmi Achmadi said that Jakartans could be identified as villagers living in a city, where their village norms were not acceptable.

"In short Jakartans are villagers whose way of life is still colored by village norms which are no longer suitable in a city, with its communal characteristics," he told reporters in a seminar on how to transform Jakarta into a healthy city.

The one-day seminar, attended by about 100 people, was held by the Association of Indonesian Experts on Environmental Health at the City Hall.

He reiterated that Jakarta was still far from becoming a healthy city.

Umar, who is also head of the research development division of the Ministry of Health, said that because the city's life was communal, people's activities needed limitations so as not to affect others.

"So, discipline is needed as a characteristic of living in the urban community, for the sake of everybody's comfort," he said.

Due to village norms which do not recognize limitations or regulations on, for instance, stopping vehicles or disposal of garbage, it is common in Jakarta to see many people behaving as if they were still living in their villages, he said.

"People do not realize, for example, that traffic jams, which are caused by drivers who stop their vehicles as they like, will create air pollution," he said.

He reiterated that it was time now for Jakartans to change their way of life, in line with the norms applicable to a city.

"It needs the full attention, not only of the city administration but also of the public themselves. In this case the administration faces an uphill task, as Jakartans are multi ethnic with multi (social and economic) levels," he said.

Umar said that efforts to make Jakarta a healthy city should be backed by good infrastructure and city planning.

"Those entrusted to draft city planning should be those who have city norms," he said.

Influence

The city's environmental condition is strongly influenced by population factors, he said.

"Countries with healthy environments are usually those with a high Gross National Product, an indicator of people's participation (in creating a healthy city). Only those who are not troubled by everyday difficulties such as supplying enough food for their families, can participate in thinking about their healthy environment," he said.

Under the present conditions, where the city has been hit by widespread food shortages, Jakarta is far from being healthy, Umar said.

"We need time to condition people to an urban community's way of life," he said. (ind)