IPB Academician Ready to Actualize Water-Friendly City
Immediately embody the Water-Friendly City, the academician of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), University of Indonesia (UI) and Monash University Australia incorporated in The Australia – Indonesia Center in collaboration with Sentul City performed benchmarking in the form of Focus Group Discussion (9/1). The event participated by academia, business, government, community and media (ABGCM) was held at Taman Budaya Sentul City, Bogor.
The main driving researcher, who also IPB Professor, Prof. Dr. Hadi Susilo Arifin said that their research activities should be supported by pentha helix system or five elements consisting of ABGCM namely academia, business, government, community and media. "If the pentha helix's support is strong then the Water Friendly City will be able to quickly materialize, not necessarily up to 50 years. Even, using the existing technology, the concept can be realized within the next 5-10 years by making jumps, "he said.
Prof. Hadi conveyed the way how to actualize the Water Friendly City can be considered and discussed together through the FGD event. He said, in the future, it is expected that water will not be a problem. "Water should not only meet the needs of human life, but also at the same time provides benefits to improve the comfort of living in the city. Water-friendly city is a city that is not flooded in the rainy season and does not experience drought in the dry season," he added.
Furthermore, he said, humans must learn from nature. We should be able to see why the river The river is always meandering, whereas God could have made the river straight. This is because water is the source of life, God creates a meandering river because there will be many people who use water from one village to another, so water is not quickly wasted into the sea.
"The concept of a city with a friendly water can be done with green technology, rain garden or rain park (garden harvesting rain water). Can be done either in the yard scale or plants. We try to study this concept. Through the Regional Development Planning Board (Bappeda), the city also plan to identify where the place suitable for green open space, where for the blue open space, so biophory is also one form of rain garden. The principle is will not experience drought in the dry season, "he explained.
Prof. Hadi and the team are currently doing research in Sentul City, Cibinong and Pulo Geulis Bogor City. Representatives from Sentul City, Ricky Teh, admitted happy to be working with IPB. With case studies carried out in Sentul City, then this city can be a model of an independent city and can be an example of other cities in Indonesia. Prof Hadi hopes the Water-Friendly City becomes a movement even a government policy. (TK)
