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Megapolitan decree allows integrated flood management

The new megapolitan presidential decree might provide a solution to maintaining green zones around Jakarta and its neighboring regions, in addition to determining water and flood control management, experts say

Tifa Asrianti (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, September 8, 2008

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Megapolitan decree allows integrated flood management

The new megapolitan presidential decree might provide a solution to maintaining green zones around Jakarta and its neighboring regions, in addition to determining water and flood control management, experts say.

Ari Muhammad, coordinator for climate change adaptation at the World Wildlife Fund Indonesia, said the decree could initiate a co-financing deal between administrations on the maintenance of green zones.

"Most people view environmental conservation as unprofitable. That's why the Jakarta administration should help finance forest maintenance in West Java and Banten," he added.

The decree could allow the administrations to discuss possible incentives for regions to better manage their rainwater, as current legal enforcement is too weak to motivate action, Ari said.

Gadis Sri Haryani, director of the water resources department at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), expressed a similar sentiment. Communities in upstream areas should be educated about ecofriendly sources of income, such as ecotourist whitewater rafting, she said.

"Industries in downstream Jakarta can promote ecotourism objectives as part of their corporate social responsibility programs. That would generate income in upstream regions," she added.

The megapolitan decree regulates spatial planning in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, Puncak and Cianjur (Jabodetabekpunjur), focusing on issues such as drainage, waste water, transportation and garbage disposal.

Article 21 of the decree stipulates that drainage and flood control systems must integrate river management with the current regional drainage system, in addition to prioritizing forest rehabilitation and revitalization of reservoirs and flood control dams.

Administrations should rehabilitate forests in upstream areas to improve water catchment and reduce flooding downstream, Ari and Gadis agreed.

The results of forest rehabilitation will not be seen immediately, as the process will take about 10 years, Gadis added.

"It will gradually reduce landslides before finally being able to reduce flooding. But the administration shouldn't give up. Even the rehabilitation of the Danube River, which passes through 10 European countries, took around 20 to 30 years," she said.

Forests in West Java, such as Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur, provide water catchment areas that supply lowland areas, including Jakarta.

Besides improving catchment areas, administrations should implement an early warning system that provides meteorological data, Ari said.

"The administrations should work with the meteorology and geophysics agency to disseminate information about rainfall, so people can evacuate to higher ground in the event of a flood," he added.

As rainwater usually descends from mountainous regions to rivers in low-lying areas, the decree will provide for coordination between upstream and downstream regions in the management of water and flood controls, Gadis said.

"The most important thing is monitoring. We already have good regulations in place, but lack proper enforcement. The administrations should determine which administration is responsible for that," she said.

According to Ari, implementation of the decree should involve public participation at all levels, including clerics and prominent community leaders, to educate the public about environmental conservation.

"If the public is educated, they can maintain the cleanliness of their rivers and neighborhoods," he added.

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