Professor of IPB: Reduce Impact of Flooding with Outlets in Ciliwung

In commemorating the World Water Day, the Council of Professors (DGB) of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) held a press conference at the Cafe of Taman Koleksi, Baranangsiang campus of IPB, Bogor (21/3). The World Water Day commemoration of this year takes the theme "Water and Jobs: Better Water, Better Jobs".

 

According to Professor of Landscape Management of IPB, Prof. Dr. Hadi Susilo Arifin, all the rivers created by Allah SWT (God the Almighty) always are winding, not straight. This means that God wants that more people can access the water. Imagine if the stream is created straight, then there is very few that can access the water. Also in case of a flood, water can quickly get to the lower area.

 

According to him, since 2015 IPB has been in collaboration with Monash University of Australia in the research scheme of Australia Indonesia Centre (AIC) to conduct research on urban water entitled "Water Sensitive Cities" in the Greater Jakarta area. One suggestion given is the need for a canal along the Watershed (DAS) of Ciliwung.

 

"The local government of the Greater Jakarta needs to make outlets that serve as a holding area of water in order to reduce the impact of flooding due to overflowing rivers," he said.

 

This river flows 117 kilometers along from Bogor to Jakarta Utara district. Ciliwung watershed 1978 has been under pressure in the form of reduction of forest cover and water bodies. In 1978, the forest was 5,616 hectares and the body of water covers an area of 675 hectares. Now, the remaining forest cover is an area of 5,175 hectares and the water body is 581 hectares.

 

"Of the 117 kilometer length of Ciliwung River, an area of 80 kilometers is relatively flat. In every kilometer an outlet and retention pool can be made in the dimension of 10 meters long, 5 meters wide, and 5 meters deep. Each pool can hold 2.5 million liters of water," he explained. (Mtd)