Walhi criticizes government over land reclamation
Walhi criticizes government over land reclamation
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi)
charged yesterday that the municipal administration's Jakarta Bay
reclamation plan is a shortcut taken without due attention to
environmental and societal impacts.
"There will be great changes in social, cultural and economic
structures, as well as in ecology, due to the implementation of
the reclamation project," M.S. Zulkarnaen, a forum executive,
said yesterday.
Speaking at a seminar, Zulkarnaen explained that currently the
city administration thinks that land reclamation is cheaper than
paying compensation for the establishment of new public
facilities. He cited a lack of understanding that the cost of
land reclamation will be much greater in the end due to the
damage caused.
The two-day seminar, which was held by the study center for
human resources and environment of the University of Indonesia,
presented a number of experts from various fields from the
university, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, the Navy and
the environmental forum as speakers.
The city administration plans to reclaim Jakarta Bay to gain
an additional 8.5 square kilometers of new land for the
establishment of a waterfront city.
Concept
Currently the city administration is reviewing its concept of
land reclamation. An environmental impact analysis is also being
prepared for the project.
Martono Yuwono, an official of the Jakarta Development
Planning Board, told participants of the seminar that the city
administration is still studying every aspect of land reclamation
so as not to hurt the environment and the public.
Martono said that the land reclamation is designed to help
solve problems relating to the shortage of land.
He said that similar land reclamation projects have been done
by private institutions in Pantai Indah Kapuk, Pantai Mutiara and
Sunda Kelapa.
"There is nothing wrong about the city administration's using
the opportunity to take advantage of land reclamation," he said.
"The administration will implement a cross subsidy policy to
finance the construction of the project," he said without giving
details.
He added that currently several gubernatorial decrees
regarding the cross subsidy policy have been issued.
P.L. Coutrier, an executive of the Agency for Environmental
Control, urged the city administration to conduct a thorough
study since land reclamation will affect the environment,
especially mangrove forests and sea creatures.
"It is also important to conduct an integrated environmental
impact analysis because this is a huge project," P.L. Coutrier
said.
He explained that since the project will take at least 15
years, the analysis should be completed as soon as possible to
explore its feasibility. (yns)