Prof Cecep Kusmana: In Ten Years, Freshwater in Jakarta will be Rare

Jakarta city in less than ten years will certainly find it difficult to get fresh water.  So said by the forestry experts of IPB, Prof. Cecep Kusmana in a discussions at Baranangsiang Campus of IPB, (4/6).The existing fresh water is currently coming from the Water Company (PAM) processed from Ciliwung river or  a very deep ground water, he said.

 

In the event of Environment Day, Prof. Cecep said such possibility results from the many disruptions to the forest ecosystem or environment today, such as the diminishing mangrove forests in the capital region converted into fish ponds. Eventually the sea water will surely rise; even Prof Cecelia predicts it could reach the territory of Blok M in South Jakarta.

 

Moreover, Prof. Cecep also said that the increasing number of population today will certainly raise the need to support the life sustainability. To improve the well-being, industrialization is intensified in many sectors. Thus, the implication is demanding heavier load against the environment by exploiting the natural resources available to meet living needs.

 

For this reason, Prof. Cecep hopes the disruption to the ecosystem or environment in which natural resource is available does not cause an environmental crisis. A solution should be found to give the environment as an ecosystem an opportunity to find a new balance, so that its carrying capacity could continue to support the activities in the utilization of natural resource.

 

"Of course, all of these require human commitment to always be aware of the importance of natural resources. In addition, the commitment of stakeholders is required to formulate planning from the beginning, for example Plans for the Protection  and Management of Environment in the use of natural resources and strategic environmental studies to ensure the implementation of sustainable development principles in the construction program," said Prof. Cecep. (Mtd)