Expert suggests educating before planting

By A. Junaidi

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto launched the so-called Gerakan Sejuta Pohon (One Million Tree Movement) as part of the nation's regreening program. Under the program, the president instructed each of the 27 provinces in the country to plant one million trees a year.

The campaign officially started in January 1993 with the planting of 1,000 trees at Monas square in Jakarta.

Many trees planted during the ongoing movement have since died due to the lack of knowledge of city workers, said Professor Zoer'aini Djamal Irwan.

It is feared that their shortage of knowledge could affect attempts to regreen and beautify the capital, said Zoer'aini, the first Indonesian female professor in landscape studies.

The planting of the trees will be a waste of the government's money if it does not improve the skills and knowledge of workers, she told The Jakarta Post in an interview Thursday.

Skilled park workers could make the regreening movement a big success if they choose the correct plants at the correct sites and treat them properly.

"So far, only the idea is good," Zoer'aini said. "Just take a look at the latest situation in the capital where a large number of big trees planted on roadsides were blown down during the recent storms."

The fallen trees later caused major traffic problems.

Mishaps are mainly due to the kinds of the trees chosen by the workers, Zoer'aini said.

"Frankly speaking, many improvements are needed if the city authorities really want a green, clean and beautiful Jakarta."

Workers from the Jakarta Parks Agency favor planting Angsana (Peterocarpus Indicus Willd) and Acacia, which grow quickly and provide shade.

"But these trees have weak roots and are easily knocked down in heavy storms," she said.

Several things must be considered when choosing a tree. The trees should be appropriate for certain landscapes and should have certain ecological functions. Park agency workers should also know the physical and horticultural characteristics of the trees to be planted.

"The workers, for instance, should know the right habitat for the trees, their ages and aroma as well as the character of their leaves," said the professor.

The ability of plants to reduce air, dust and noise pollution totally depends upon their species, height, space distances and the climate, including wind, temperature and moisture, she explained.

"It's high time also to consider other related things. Don't just plant trees without reasonable planning."

Instead of Acacia and Angsana, she suggested trees with strong roots like Asam Jawa (Tamarindus Indica), which were planted in abundance during the Dutch colonial times. At one time there were hundreds of shady Asam Jawa trees standing along Anyer-Panarukan road in West Java.

"It is now difficult to find them as many have fallen down," Zoer'aini said.

Ideal space

Limited land is also a serious problem. It is getting more difficult to find space for city green areas because of a land shortage.

"I suggest that the city administration optimize any space it has, be it in residential areas, parks or roadsides,"

Ideally, 40 percent of the city's land should be green, a figure she says will be nearly impossible to attain.

Zoer'aini became a professor at Trisakti University on Sept. 5. The 54-year-old woman was born in Sawahlunto, West Sumatra. She graduated from Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) in 1969.

She met Djamal Irwan, a student at the University of Indonesia's school of economics, and married him in 1968.

"At that time, IPB was part of the University of Indonesia. My husband was a soccer player for the university and I was a member of the university's soccer competition committee," she said.

She has four children: Achmad Ferizqo Irwan, 27, Siti Nurul Rofiqo Irwan, 25, Ahmad Zulfiqo Irwan, 21, and Siti Nurul Rahmafiqo Irwan, 17.

She has been involved in many environmental and regreening research projects around Indonesia. She has written more than 100 articles for local publications.

Joining organizations is one of her hobbies, which also include swimming, acting, poetry reading and, of course, gardening.

She is a founder of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals and a member of the organization's central committee for 1996-2000.