Developers ignore environmental considerations
DEPOK, West Java (JP): Housing developers do not place environmental considerations at the top of their list of priorities, says president of the Indonesian Real Estate Association Edwin Kawilarang.
"The concept of sustainable development is not yet suitable for Indonesia," he told reporters during a break in a seminar on the sustainability of urban and regional development yesterday at the campus of University of Indonesia here.
"Sustainable development is not on our list of priorities. The concept is for developed countries. We are a developing country that is still struggling to meet basic needs," Kawilarang said.
"Yes, the concept of sustainable development is needed, but in reality, it's not on our people's list of priorities," he added.
He pointed out that the public rarely considers whether a house they wish to buy or build degrades the environment. "Their first and foremost question is: Is it cheap enough?" he said.
The seminar was opened by Minister of Public Housing Akbar Tanjung at the Center for Sustainable Urban and Regional Development (CSURD), an organization founded by the University of Indonesia's Institute of Technology in cooperation with the University of Melbourne and the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization.
In his speech, Tanjung urged real estate developers to "be more responsible and heed the results of environmental impact assessments" in their building activities.
"Developers must never ignore the assessments for the sake of profit," Tanjung said. He added that the government has issued numerous regulations on housing development.
"The 1993 Broad Guidelines of State Policies instructed that development should be undertaken to improve people's prosperity and sustain the 'noble values of the nation'," he said. "Housing development should always be done in ways which sustain the environment."
In his speech, the minister also declared that 30% of the 190 million Indonesians live in urban areas and that the country still needs more than 2 million housing units.
Tanjung also called on the public to tackle developers over whether the houses they wish to buy are built in an environmentally responsible manner. "It the housing development affects the environment adversely, don't buy it," he said.
The minister's statements were backed by Ismeth Abidin from the CSURD.
"Indonesia is in a rapid transformation. Around 40 of its cities will develop into trade centers," said Ismeth, who is a lecturer at the university's School of Engineering.
"Sustainable development is what we need to safeguard the future of the future generations from the adverse impacts of that transformation," said Ismeth.
The two-day seminar will also feature former environment minister Emil Salim and a number of speakers from Australia. (06)