T

em>The Jakarta administration keeps forests in several areas in the capital, all of which exist side by side with Jakarta’s sprawling concrete jungle.

Although the forests only account for less than 10 percent of the green space in the city — much less than the required 30 percent — their existence is vital to counter the threat of air pollution from an increasing number of motor vehicles and businesses.

Below are the list of the city’s lungs. Most are man-made. All are open to visitors who want to enjoy good air quality while keeping close to the heart of the city.

Srengseng City Forest, West Jakarta

Located in Srengseng subdistrict, this green space was designated a city forest in 1995 and functions as a water catchment area and tourism destination.

The forest, which covers 15.3 hectares, used to be a dump.

Inside the forest lies a 6,000-square-meter artificial lake that supplies water to local residents. The drainage system uses a natural channel, with the lake as the reservoir. Other parts head to the nearby Pesanggrahan River.

The average temperature in the location is 26 degrees Celsius, which is much cooler than other parts of the city, where temperatures easily top 30 degrees.

According to the Jakarta Fisheries and Agriculture Agency, there are 65 different kinds of trees in this urban forest, including acacia, kauri, walnut and banyan trees.

The trees planted here — and in every city forest — are suited to local needs and all reduce the level of air pollution.

The forest has a children’s playground and wall-climbing facilities for active youngsters. If you are lucky, you can watch while birds flit from flower to flower in search of nectar.

University of Indonesia City Forest, South Jakarta

Also known as Mahkota Hijau, or the Green Crown, this urban forest also has a research function.

Mahkota Hijau spans 55.4 hectares, including 34.6 hectares located in Depok, West Java.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Mahkota Hijau has an annual average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius, with humidity of around 85 percent. Irrigation water for the Green Crown comes from the nearby Cinakusen River.

No less than 41 kinds of trees exist on site, including palm, banyan, jackfruit and starfruit trees. The city administration is planning to expand the forest to include 184 kinds of trees.

Various kinds of animals also live there, including more than 56 types of birds who live in seven habitats.

A 10.4-hectare lake for forest irrigation adds to the pleasant sensation when enjoying the fresh air.

Kemayoran City Forest, Central Jakarta

The area used for this forest was once home to Kemayoran Airport. The forest was inaugurated in 1987 and renewed by a Gubernatorial Decree in 2002 to be a green space for the Jakarta Fair (PRJ).

The Kemayoran City Forest was designated for conservation. Although it stands in the middle of the city, the forest has an artificial lake that controls water coming in and out to avoid floods.

The forest covers 4.6 hectares of the 52.5 hectares of the PRJ site. The average annual temperature in the area, according to the BMKG, is 28 degrees Celsius.

More than 5,000 trees stand in the forest.

Halim Perdana Kusuma Airbase City Forest, East Jakarta

The Air Force (TNI-AU) manages this city forest, which spans 3.5 hectares. The establishment of this green space was to meant to muffle the noise coming from passing airplanes, as seen by the composition of trees there.

Muara Angke City Forest, North Jakarta

Sitting on the northern coast of Jakarta, this forest is one of the largest in the city, covering 25.02 hectares. Although lying between the luxury homes of the Pantai Indah Kapuk Residence and Tanjung Priok Port, visitors can still breathe fresh quality air.

Like its peers, Muara Angke City Forest comprises a host of trees, mostly mangroves, in this case.

The forest has a boardwalk that runs for more than 840 meters around the forest to give visitors a chance enjoy the whole area. A 20-meter-high bridge also lets visitors see the mangrove forest from above — as well as monkeys swinging from tree to tree.

The forest has at least 74 types of birds, with some wild animals, such as lizards, pythons and cobras.

After walking around the entire forest, visitors will reach Muara Angke River, where you can see nearby Bird Island. — JP