"Jakarta needs greater catchment areas"

Environmental damage is partly to blame for the current flood problems. But, poor city public policies and the lack of public awareness are also responsible for such disasters. The Jakarta Post talked to some residents in search of possible solutions to the annual problem.

Rida, 32, is a geophysicist at an oil company in Rawamangun, East Jakarta. He resides in Bekasi with his wife and daughter:

I guess the flood problems in the city are caused by uncontrollable deforestation in Bogor which has severely reduced the catchment areas so that the overflow of water flowing into Jakarta is unstoppable.

But above all, the main problem is the government's absence of concrete actions to handle the floods. I don't even see any plans to deal with it. I think the absence of funds is not a reasonable excuse for the administration not to solve the annual problem.

On the other hand, city residents' poor awareness, exemplified by their habit of dumping waste in the rivers also worsens the situation.

Building more riverbanks or dams in the city will be useless. Moreover, it will exacerbate the environment because the dredged mud will become annoying dust in the dry season. Those programs will only waste money and be ineffective.

Flood canals and more areas for water storage will be a little bit more effective, but only as a short-term solution, as they will only minimize the flood risks. They're not the solution.

I'm of the opinion that it would be better to make more flood gates in Jakarta. Because as far as I know, the city now depends on the flood gates in Bogor and Depok. If there are more flood gates, the excess water will be channeled through several outlets.

So, the city government should work hand in hand with other city administrations to find the best solution. Otherwise the floods will continue to haunt city residents every year.

Eka Wenats Wuryanto, 32, is a lecturer at Atma Jaya Catholic University in South Jakarta. He resides in Pondok Gede, Bekasi, with his wife and son:

In my opinion, Jakarta is growing at a wild pace. I mean to say that the city development is totally unmanageable. Worse still, the city government lacks of transparency in its policies. In addition, the policies tend to be unfriendly to the environment.

We can see now that there are no more catchment areas. The drainage systems are damaged. Besides, big buildings uncontrollably absorb the ground water without the implementation of proper regulations by the city administration. As a result, the city is sinking below sea level.

I wish we could return back to the old Jakarta days in which the rivers and irrigation systems were planned in such a way that they prevented floods.

I'm of the opinion that the city government should expand the catchment areas even though it may trigger disputes with local residents, especially those illegal settlers living along the riverbanks.

Ideally, catchment areas should make up 25 percent of the total land area in the city. And, Jakarta now has far less than 10 percent of catchment areas since those areas have been used for elite housing complexes or shopping centers. It's ridiculous.

In addition, the government should campaign for an eco- friendly movement within the community in an effort to save the city. Otherwise, city residents will have more apathy toward the environment as the administration never sides with the public interests.

Lina, 32, is a Biology teacher at Sekolah Global Jaya in Bintaro, Tangerang. She resides in Tanah Kusir, South Jakarta with her husband and daughter:

I guess the flood problems are getting worse in the city due to the habit of city residents of dumping their garbage in the rivers. Worse still, the absence of appropriate city plans also exacerbates the problem.

In addition, rampant deforestation also aggravates the problem of retention of the water as ground water.

I'm of the opinion that the most practical thing to do is to boost public awareness about the environment starting from simple things. Only when people care for their environment, such horrendous disasters can be minimized.

I regret to note the fact that the government is always talking nonsense about environmental campaigns. It'd be better for the government to learn from foreign countries that give a lot of attention to the environment. It's the government's responsibility to raise such awareness regardless of the financial constraints.

I cannot deny the fact that many of my colleagues and students are careless about litter. In a way, I can understand that it's hard to raise public awareness instantly, as most of us here are busy struggling to survive.

However, it doesn't mean that it's impossible. Because, it would be no use even if we apply the most advanced technology here for flood prevention if the public lacks ecological awareness.

Personally, I prefer this long-term strategy as a solution to the flood problem.