Sustainable
development starts with you and me
Lim Huy Ming ; The writer, a Malaysian, was a medical student
in Jakarta
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JAKARTA
POST, 14 Desember 2014
Jan. 17,
2013, was a memorable day. As I was about to leave for hospital early in the
morning to begin another ordinary day as a medical student, heavy rains
deluged much of Jakarta.
For two
hours I waded through murky flood waters to reach the hospital completely
drenched, only to find out that activities were canceled as doctors and
patients were stranded at home. The hospital was flooded. Traffic was
gridlocked outside the hospital. The city of 14 million people was inundated
and paralyzed.
That was
the worst flood in my several years in Jakarta. With nearly 40 percent of
Jakarta’s land area lying below sea level, inhabitants of the city are no
strangers to the phenomenon of flooding, now inseparable from the monsoon
rains. I was back in my hometown in Malaysia for a semester break when the
worst flooding in the modern history of Jakarta hit the city in 2007. The
massive flooding displaced nearly half a million people and caused up to
US$967 million in damages.
In
consideration of the devastating consequences of flooding, the Jakarta
government has put flood mitigation near the top of its agenda. In 2014, Rp
5.1 trillion was allocated for flood prevention alone. Many projects are now
underway to tackle the problem of perennial flooding, including waterway
dredging, rehabilitation of floodways and retention basins, land acquisition
and relocation of illegal settlers from riverbanks.
However,
the flood problem cannot be solved by the city administration alone. The
flooding phenomenon in Jakarta is a result of unsustainable human practices
carried out by the government, businesses, communities and individuals.
One
example is the excessive extraction of groundwater, which results in rapid
land subsidence in Jakarta. The city is estimated to be sinking at a rate of
10 to 30 centimeters per year, making the low-lying city even more
susceptible to flooding.
In
addition to land subsidence, Jakarta faces challenges imposed by
anthropogenic climate change and a resultant rise in sea levels. Scientists
estimate that half of Jakarta will be submerged under sea water by the end of
the century if the current rate of global warming continues.
As well
as being victims of global warming, Jakartans also contribute to the rise of
atmospheric temperature. Nearly 9.9 million vehicles take to the capital’s
streets each day, emitting the greenhouse gases that are the primary
contributors to climate change. The problem is further aggravated by the
addition of more than 1,000 new vehicles each day and the resulting traffic congestion.
Waterways
and floodgates clogged with garbage, which increase the risk of flooding, are
common sights in Jakarta. Much of the 6,500 tons of solid waste produced
daily by the city’s households ends up being tossed directly or washed into
rivers.
The
illegal disposal of trash is further compounded by the citizens’ preference
for goods sold in small quantities, such as sachets of shampoo just big
enough for a single use. Not only is the sheer amount of trash increased
many-fold, the non-biodegradable plastic wrapping of these goods is, in
itself, a threat to the ecosystem.
Rains
and floods also expose the problem of poverty in Jakarta. The poor are
disproportionately affected by the floods, living in flood-prone slum areas
and having no resources to help them prepare for and recover from floods.
Additionally,
“umbrella children”, or “ojek payung”, flock the streets in every tropical
downpour, even during school hours, escorting people to waiting taxis or
nearby buildings for a tiny income. This is of great concern, as clear
linkages exist between education, poverty reduction and sustainability.
Flood
mitigation cannot be achieved by government efforts alone. We, the citizens
of Jakarta, should assume the responsibility of creating a more sustainable
environment. Carpooling, use of public transportation, responsible disposal
of waste, recycling and refusing the service of “umbrella children” during
school hours are all simple measures each of us could take to help mitigate
the risk of floods in Jakarta.
While
the relative contribution of each individual action is tiny, a flood-free
Jakarta is not impossible if all of us could engage ourselves in actionable
changes.
Verily, sustainable development starts with you and me. ●
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