Government not ready for increased urbanization
<p>Government not ready for increased urbanization</p><p>Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p> The government will not be capable of facing increased
urbanization in the future if it continues to ignore the urgency
of coping with current urban problems, an environmentalist from
the University of Indonesia said on Thursday.</p><p>Bianpoen said that the government had failed to implement the
principles of sustainable development in its urban planning and
in the development of rural areas.</p><p>He explained that many people from rural areas preferred
living the hard way in the slum areas of cities as scavengers or
even petty thieves to living in their villages as the cities
provided greater opportunities for improving their lives.</p><p>"It is estimated that by the year 2010 more than half the
population of Java will be living in urban areas. Like it or not,
the government has to face the problem of increased urbanization
with all the excesses it entails," he told The Jakarta Post on
the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) Regional Workshop on Sustainable Urban Planning and
Environmental Management.</p><p>The workshop, which will end on Friday, is organized by
University of Indonesia, Hanns Seidel Foundation, and the United
Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).</p><p>"As most villagers are peasants, not landowners, there is
nothing else to do in the village to earn a living. That's why
they decide to move to the big cities," Bianpoen explained.</p><p>He said it was time for the government to do everything
necessary to provide more job opportunities for rural people.</p><p>However, he added that the government had to first amend its
approach to sustainable urban planning so as to reduce the urban
problems we faced nowadays, such as brawling, poor hygiene and
sanitation, water and air pollution, and poor infrastructure.</p><p>He blamed these conditions on the government's lack of
understanding of the principles involved in sustainable
development, which did not revolve solely around economic growth,
and the sacrificing of the environment and natural resources.</p><p>"The concept is also about justice and equity for the people.
The fruits of development are only being enjoyed by a small
number of people, those who have power and the members of the
various elites. The poor are considered outcasts in urban
planning," he said.</p><p>Bianpoen pointed to the recent forcible demolitions of slum
areas and the rounding up of sidewalk traders in Jakarta as
examples of the decision makers' insensitivity towards the
people, especially the poor who were not recognized in urban
planning blueprints.</p><p>"The administration doesn't want to hear the reason why the
people live along the riverbanks or why they are poor.
Demolishing slum areas and replacing them with nice apartments
doesn't solve the essence of the problem," he said.</p><p>He suggested that the administration should list all urban
problems, then pick the three most pressing ones and try to
resolve them.</p><p>"Take social problems such as brawling, lynchings, and
poverty. All these are caused by injustice. If they are solved,
the rest can come easily so that we can get on the right track
toward sustainable urban planning," he added.</p><p>"The government is not short of brilliant decision makers, but
what we need is decision makers with morality who can see that
existing urban planning only leads to social degradation,"
Bianpoen remarked.</p><p>On Thursday, participants in the workshop visited the Kalibaru
seaport and Cilincing beach in North Jakarta to compare the
management of urban areas and the environment. They were not,
however, given the chance to talk with locals.</p>
urbanization in the future if it continues to ignore the urgency
of coping with current urban problems, an environmentalist from
the University of Indonesia said on Thursday.</p><p>Bianpoen said that the government had failed to implement the
principles of sustainable development in its urban planning and
in the development of rural areas.</p><p>He explained that many people from rural areas preferred
living the hard way in the slum areas of cities as scavengers or
even petty thieves to living in their villages as the cities
provided greater opportunities for improving their lives.</p><p>"It is estimated that by the year 2010 more than half the
population of Java will be living in urban areas. Like it or not,
the government has to face the problem of increased urbanization
with all the excesses it entails," he told The Jakarta Post on
the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) Regional Workshop on Sustainable Urban Planning and
Environmental Management.</p><p>The workshop, which will end on Friday, is organized by
University of Indonesia, Hanns Seidel Foundation, and the United
Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).</p><p>"As most villagers are peasants, not landowners, there is
nothing else to do in the village to earn a living. That's why
they decide to move to the big cities," Bianpoen explained.</p><p>He said it was time for the government to do everything
necessary to provide more job opportunities for rural people.</p><p>However, he added that the government had to first amend its
approach to sustainable urban planning so as to reduce the urban
problems we faced nowadays, such as brawling, poor hygiene and
sanitation, water and air pollution, and poor infrastructure.</p><p>He blamed these conditions on the government's lack of
understanding of the principles involved in sustainable
development, which did not revolve solely around economic growth,
and the sacrificing of the environment and natural resources.</p><p>"The concept is also about justice and equity for the people.
The fruits of development are only being enjoyed by a small
number of people, those who have power and the members of the
various elites. The poor are considered outcasts in urban
planning," he said.</p><p>Bianpoen pointed to the recent forcible demolitions of slum
areas and the rounding up of sidewalk traders in Jakarta as
examples of the decision makers' insensitivity towards the
people, especially the poor who were not recognized in urban
planning blueprints.</p><p>"The administration doesn't want to hear the reason why the
people live along the riverbanks or why they are poor.
Demolishing slum areas and replacing them with nice apartments
doesn't solve the essence of the problem," he said.</p><p>He suggested that the administration should list all urban
problems, then pick the three most pressing ones and try to
resolve them.</p><p>"Take social problems such as brawling, lynchings, and
poverty. All these are caused by injustice. If they are solved,
the rest can come easily so that we can get on the right track
toward sustainable urban planning," he added.</p><p>"The government is not short of brilliant decision makers, but
what we need is decision makers with morality who can see that
existing urban planning only leads to social degradation,"
Bianpoen remarked.</p><p>On Thursday, participants in the workshop visited the Kalibaru
seaport and Cilincing beach in North Jakarta to compare the
management of urban areas and the environment. They were not,
however, given the chance to talk with locals.</p>