The dwindling green space in Jakarta has driven many native bird species out of the city, a discussion said Thursday.
“The loss of trees that the birds can nest and forage for food in has resulted in the decline of the bird population,” said National University of Jakarta biology lecturer Hasmar Rusmendro.
“To bring the birds back to the city, the city administration should build more green areas and plant various kinds of trees that can provide food and shelter for the birds.”
Indonesia has the fifth most diverse bird population in the world. There are about 1,500 bird species in Indonesia, 397 of which can only be found here.
According to BirdLife International, Jakarta boasted 256 bird species in 1948, but this has since been whittled down to 121 species in 2007.
Burung Indonesia researcher Fahrul Paja Amama urged the city administration to pay more heed to the plight of the bird, particularly since the UN had declared 2010 the year to preserve biodiversity.
He added many residents kept birds in cages in their homes.
“If they had green areas in their neighborhoods where they could hear birds chirping, they wouldn’t need to cage them,” he said.
He suggested that to discourage people keeping caged birds, which posed sanitation and health problems, the city should create more green areas to lure the birds.
He also called on the administration to cut back on its use of insecticides, to allow an insect population boom that would draw more birds.
Less than 10 percent of the city’s 662.3-square-kilometer area is dedicated to green space. The administration plans to increase the figure to the legally mandated 13.9 percent before the end of 2010.
Flora and Fauna International’s Enny Sudarmonowati said preserving green areas had never previously been part of the city’s zoning plan.
“People in big cities, including Jakarta, used to build infrastructure without taking into account the environmental impacts,” she said.
“We only learn the importance of these areas once we start feeling the negative impacts, such as floods.”
She added green areas could only be preserved if residents understood their significance.
“There are many programs organized by the private sector to raise public awareness,” Enny said.
“I think the city administration can help coordinate these programs to make them more effective.”
She also suggested the administration turn the space beneath elevated roads into green areas.
“There’s also a lot of idle land in the city that could temporarily be used as green areas [with the owners’ permission],” Enny said.
Parks agency spokesman Themy Kendraputra said the suggestions had been duly noted, but it was unlikely they would be implemented any time soon.
He added the agency’s top priority was to cut pollution and provide comfortable areas for residents.
“If the birds flock there, great. But it’s not our main concern,” he said.
Themy said rather than plant trees for the birds, the agency planted trees and shrubs to absorb CO2.
He also said it was unlikely the administration could attain its 13.9 percent green space target this year.
“They don’t have enough money to buy land for green areas,” he said.
Discussion participants also suggested regreening developments built in water catchment areas.
“It’s not my agency’s job to do that,” Themy said.
“That’s up to the building supervisory agency.” (mrs)
