City environmental health still poor, expert says
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)