Stakeholders seek to curb pollution
Stakeholders seek to curb pollution
Evi Mariani, Jakarta
Jakarta officials and organizations concerned with air pollution
resulting from vehicle emissions have started to develop a
computer simulation program to help analyze the city's pollution
problem, which it is hoped will help them to formulate policies
to reduce pollution levels.
The stakeholders attended a workshop on Thursday, the first of
six events to be held up until April 2005, according to Shanty
M.F. Syahril, the program coordinator of the organizer, the
Pelangi Foundation.
"We expect that by June 2005, we will have completed the
development of the simulation program. We will later distribute
the program to the stakeholders," she said.
The program, called a system dynamics methodology program, was
introduced by Jay W. Forrester from the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology in the 1950s.
It is aimed at helping people understand how a system is
working and later create strategies to intervene so as to bring
about necessary changes.
Shanty said that the workshops would help those in attendance
to understand the issues involved in air pollution in Indonesia,
particularly in Jakarta.
Up to 60 institutions and organizations have been invited to
participate in the workshops as stakeholders in clean air
policies, including officials from the central government, and
representatives from the Association of Indonesian Automotive
Industries (Gaikindo), the Organization of Land Transportation
Owners (Organda), and political parties.
"About 40 representatives have agreed to participate in this
program," Shanty said. "However, some crucial stakeholders, like
Organda and Gaikindo, have not responded to the invitation. I
hope they will participate in the subsequent workshops."
The first workshop, where the participants identified current
emission problems, was also attended by the Association of Repair
Shop Owners.
Workshop facilitators required the participants to write down
their opinions on emissions.
Most of the participants agreed that the sheer number of
motorized vehicles on the roads was one of the factors that
worsened air pollution in Jakarta.
Regarding growth in vehicle numbers, the participants
suggested that better public transportation and pedestrian
facilities were a must.
Cheaper cars and motorcycles were also mentioned as factors
that worsened air pollution.
They also pointed out that consistent policies to reduce
pollution were urgently required.
In addition, the participants identified the low quality of
fuel in Indonesia as a primary factor, and urged the government
to develop the infrastructure required for environmentally
friendly natural gas-fueled vehicles.