Jakarta housing health hazard, expert says
Jakarta housing health hazard, expert says
ISTANBUL, Turkey (JP): An expert warned that crowded houses in
Jakarta are unhealthy.
Jes Clauson-Kaas, an environmental engineer from the
Copenhagen-based COWI consulting firm, said over the weekend that
a study in Kali Anyar clearly demonstrates the negative health
impact of crowding.
Crowding also has negative social and psychological affects,
which can lead to stress. The most negative aspect of crowding,
as reported by the community, is insufficient rest and sleep, he
said.
He concluded "there is no doubt that crowding leads people
being closer to one another which again leads to transmission of
airborne diseases."
Clauson-Kaas, a consultant of the UN Conference on Human
Settlements, presented his results at discussion on environment
and health, which paralleled the UN Conference on Human
Settlements (Habitat) II.
The study was conducted in cooperation with Dr. Charles
Surjadi, a medical doctor at Atma Jaya University in Jakarta.
About 25,000 people live in 3,924 houses occupying the 31.8-
hectares of Kali Anyar. A density of 786 people per hectare.
According to the city administration, population density in
Jakarta is 130 people per hectare.
High population densities, high building densities, a lack of
indoor and outdoor living space, and poor quality of housing and
facilities, are problematic aspects of living in Kali Anyar,
Clauson-Kaas said.
Poor ventilation was highlighted as the cause of humidity
indoors. High building density contributes to a poor house
environments because sunlight cannot enter houses. There is also
poor sanitation in the area, which affect the people's health.
Children are especially at risk because they must play in
small corridors lined by open sewers due to the lack of safe
playgrounds and house space.
People could live in relatively crowded conditions if
respiratory diseases and measles were controlled. Hygiene
education is vital to improving cleanliness and ventilation, and
reducing smoke and fumes from cooking fuels, he said.
Building materials play an important role in reducing humidity
inside a house.
Clauson-Kaas said families often live in one room because they
rent out their other rooms to generate income.
Many migrant laborers in Jakarta share a room with up to 20
people to minimize accommodation costs.
"Each mattress space is rented for eight hours a day and thus
occupied by two people within the day," he said.
He said huge differences in the perception of environmental
risks between agencies and the community have plagued all
remedies.
"A failure to understand the rationality of urban dwellers,
their needs and priorities has often led to well intended but
unsuccessful interventions," he said.
He called for thorough understanding of the cultural
dimensions of risk perception and the way it feeds into people's
behavior, motives, their priorities and their willingness to
address environmental risks. (sim)