Author: Rodney Jensen, Sydney
Publication: The Jakarta Post
Date: December 3, 2008
URL: http://old.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20081203.F04&irec=3#
The canals and Ciliwung River system of Jakarta
are an amazing resource and asset for the City -- possibly a surprising assertion
for those who associate the canals with flooding, offensive odors and the
appearance of a waste tip or an open sewer.
The historical settlement of Jayakarta stretching
back from pre-history through to later times with European colonization in
the 16th and 17th centuries, was strongly associated with the river.
In the colonial era the river system was enlarged
with a comprehensive network of canals intended primarily for the movement
of goods by small shallow draft ships, and secondarily to drain the urban
area as it moved rapidly southwards.
Early engravings of colonial Batavia show
a canal system and form of warehousing and commercial buildings quite similar
to mediaeval Dutch Towns.
In the 20th century, the pace of rapid urbanization
has eroded the environmental qualities of the canals. With the possible exception
of the canal that passes Jalan Kali Besar in Kota, the canals have been neglected,
thoughtlessly bridged over, polluted, blocked and forgotten. In comparison
with cities like Amsterdam and Venice where despite contemporary change, the
canals have survived and hold immense tourist attraction -- in Jakarta the
canals have degenerated to the level of urban embarrassment.
From a practical point of view there are even
more serious problems arising from their increasingly limited capability to
drain the urban area and the upper reaches of the Ciliwung River. This has
resulted from a combination of siltation, un-regulated tipping downstream,
and upstream, increased run-off associated with urbanization and loss of forest
and 'soft" landscape.
On a recent visit to Jakarta I was taken on
a trip from Pegangsaan along the eastern bank of the Ciliwung heading down
river as far as to Kwitang. It is a journey that is best undertaken by motorcycle
or bicycle -- one that I suspect few foreigners have attempted. It enters
quite secluded Kampungs and narrow pathways which turn out to be a lot more
interesting than the typical road side view of Jakarta.
The journey revealed that efforts to improve
flow capabilities have a heavy focus on heavy engineering rather than more
general urban design or environmental improvement. But on the other hand it
confirmed the huge potential that the river artery has for opening up "hidden"
urban areas.
Because of the close association of the river
with ordinary people a far greater effort needs to be given to positive programs
of enhancement -- perhaps initiated in the primary schools. Because community
ownership of different sections of the river and canals is undoubtedly the
key to improvement.
Indonesia has a fine tradition of cooperative
work to achieve community goals. For example the maintenance of the complex
rice paddy systems in various parts of Indonesia has traditionally been shared
by local farmers for the common good. Perhaps the government could encourage
such cooperative arrangements to take better care of the rivers and canals
by providing educational resource kits for the schools and giving prizes for
the best kept sections of canal.
It might seem to be an impossible dream to
restore the Ciliwung to a state it might have been in well over 100 years
ago -- but with the right conservation policies established some progress
might be achieved to such a goal within (say) a 20 year time span.
For the hard nosed economists who might ask
"how are such dreams to be financed?" I would respond that the intangible
and community benefits (such as improved water quality, reduced flooding,
restoration of heritage values, urban improvement and tourist appeal) would
far outweigh the costs, making Jakarta a better place and potentially a city
to rival the best that traditional cities in west have to offer.
Urban policies such as this have to be far
sighted and -- yes -- idealistic. The alternative of increasing pollution,
uncontrolled flooding and a deteriorating environment is clearly unacceptable.
To involve the community to take ownership
of the Ciliwung River and associated canals; to foster a deeper understanding
of their fundamental importance to the urban environment -- would be a win-win
situation with incalculable benefits for Jakarta.
- The writer is a Sydney based architect planner
and frequent visitor to Jakarta.
