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.