No one in charge of vital uplands

No one in charge of vital uplands

E. Edwards McKinnon and Janu Ismanik, Bandung, West Java

The recent severe flooding in Jakarta has affected the lives
and livelihood of thousands of people. For years now, improved
approaches to soil and water conservation in the upper reaches of
the Ciliwung which rises in Puncak and the Cisadane that rises to
the south of Bogor have been discussed without any satisfactory
outcome. Rules and regulations exist but have rarely been
thoroughly enforced.

Both upland watershed areas are valuable ecological units
with environmental assets that needs to be both fully protected
and conserved. The critical state of affairs affecting soil and
water conservation involves the empowerment of communities in
sub-watershed areas of the upper Ciliwung, an area that covers
most of the Puncak and also to the upper reaches of the Cisadane.

For the future, however, one of the most important aspects of
any approach to soil and water conservation is that of longer
term sustainability of the measures to be taken to alleviate
future potential disasters on the scale of those experienced
during the past week or perhaps even greater.

The question arises relating to what single institution has
the power, authority and capability of addressing and handling
the problems facing this ecological unit and ensuring the
sustainability of what is being done to preserve the
environmental integrity of these upriver areas. The short answer
is: None.

It is suggested that in the longer term, a more holistic
approach may be required, in order to both conserve the soil and
water retention capability of the upper watershed areas and at
the same time, ensure the longer term sustainability of any
efforts and action taken for the longer term future.

As there is no single institution with the authority to do
this, consideration should be given to the creation of a
Ciliwung/Cisadane river basin management authority that would
enable all parties with interests in the environmental
sustainability to ensure a successful outcome for what needs to
be done.

Changes in land use, deforestation, weather patterns and the
increased liability to flooding, not only in the low-lying lands
of Jakarta and Tangerang but along the length of the courses of
the two rivers make this a priority consideration.

These changes and in land ownership, including the rapid
expansion of urbanizing influences and conversion of former
rubber estate land to real estate developments and golf courses
in the Bogor region have exacerbated environmental problems. The
dispossession of rural communities, absentee landlords and acute
problems of malnutrition among young children are major social
dilemmas in the Bogor area.

The key factor in achieving longer-term sustainability of any
conservation measure to be taken is, who pays for longer-term
environmental conservation, and the operation and maintenance of
soil and water conservation efforts? Land prices have risen
rapidly in recent years. In the current economic situation, it is
perhaps unrealistic to expect disadvantaged upper watershed
communities to generate adequate income to ensure the continued
maintenance of soil and water conservation infrastructure over
the longer term.

Improved sustainable welfare for such communities and rising
expectations may be difficult to meet. Finding ways and means for
downstream beneficiaries to contribute financial support for
maintenance of upstream areas need to be identified through a
holist approach to the problems being faced by stakeholders in
the upper watershed regions of the Ciliwung and Cisadane rivers.

Those rules and regulations that may be assessed as being
appropriate for future effective soil and water conservation
management should be enforced. Perhaps the political will to do
this can be found after the horrendous flooding of the past week.

As suggested above, legal aspects of a Ciliwung/Cisadane River
Basin Management Authority (CCRBMA) should be examined so that
representation of all stakeholders, both direct and indirect, can
be reflected in formulating such an institution's basic powers,
rights and responsibilities.

The creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the United
States to manage the environment and hydro-electric power
generating facilities suggests a parallel to the current needs of
the Ciliwung and the Cisadane. Consideration should thus be given
to the possibility of creating an institution that can represent
the interests of all stakeholders to manage not only the upper
reaches of these rivers, but the whole of the Ciliwung and
Cisadane river valleys from source to sea.

Only then can the shocked inhabitants of Jakarta and
Tanggerang begin to sleep soundly in their beds.