CITY GREEN OPEN SPACE AND MANGROVES FOREST EXISTENCY

Zaki Mubarak
Ketua Umum
Pimpinan Cabang Pemuda Muhammadiyah
Tebet Timur

Every second, human activities always move to new level to reach better life quality. In this modern era, people must adapt with quick changes in every part of life. People who lived in capital city, like Jakarta, must be felt that situation. Usually in every capital city, many people from different background and area came to work and reach their dreams. Many villagers come to capital city with that reason. That’s what we called urbanization.

Massive urbanization movement makes a lot of problems for this city. Unbalanced composition between job seekers and field of jobs, high cost life and less income, limited area of residence and huge population, and more, make serious social problems. On the other side, province government, as a side who has power and authority to manage city, trapped in corruption and conspiracy circle. As time goes by, city has complex problems caused by huge population and land abuse.

One of some problems which have significant correlation with city existence and city resident life quality are green open space and mangroves forest. Are they available with balanced proportion or paradox situation that makes us take a deep breath to realize the reality?

The Importance of Them

City green open space and mangroves forest are not only just for city supplement or aesthetics element, but more important, it for balance element to continuation of life. With that important part, province government, people and all city elements must take part to preserve them. As a city resident, we already felt the consequences from treat them badly, like flood, water crisis, erode the sea’s edge, damaged of animal ecosystem, and more.

City green open space is part of a city area open spaces which is filled of plants and vegetations to support direct benefit and/or indirect benefit which is produced from green open space in city that are security, pleasure, wealth, and beauty (IPB, 2005).

City green open space with their soil and trees has multi function to fulfill city resident needs. First, absorb carbon dioxide and preserve oxygen. That’s very useful to eliminate air pollution like smoke from car, motorcycle, factory, etc. It also can reduce global warming phenomena. Second, water preserve. When rain fall to earth, they will absorb and keep it deep inside soil. When people need it, they just grave the soil and find a good quality water to consume. Third, animals and plants ecosystem. With limited area, city is not ideal area for them to life but with green open space, they can survive and growth. Fourth, recreational place. High activities frequency makes city resident, even adult and child, easy to get stress and depression. One of some solution to release the problems is use the green open space or city forest to do some sport activities like jogging, play football, etc. Also for family, they can use it for picnic and family gathering activities.

Mangroves forest also has significant part to make city save from sea disaster. First, beach support area. This is very important to reduce wave negative impact and to avoid aberration. Second, animals ecosystem. Mangroves forest provide place to live for many water animal species and non animal water species, like fish and heron.

REALITY

Terrible, that’s one word to express green open space or city forest and mangroves forest latest conditions. We can see how many land abuse happened surround us. Jakarta Province Government explained there are 302 parks with 105,9 hectare. But, Jakarta Gardens Official expressed, around 250 parks location already change the function, that are 42 locations in Central Jakarta, 27 locations in North Jakarta, 48 locations in West Jakarta, 77 locations in South Jakarta, and 56 locations in East Jakarta (Mokoginta, 2006).

Majority, that lands used for residents and economic place activities for long times. Because of that, people who lived there feel that they are owner of the land. Why they can feel like that? They argued that they also pay the tax to government officials. Actually, what they have paid was not tax but toll. The nearest example is Jalur Hijau in Tebet which already occupied since 1970’s and now more dense become squatter area. Besides that, we can see Hilton Hotel in Senayan was built in green open space or city forest. In academic circle also emerge discussion about base resident legal status in city, that are slum (base, but legal) and squatter (base and lived illegally, usually in neglect land and outskirt of infrastructure way). For second category, province government has a right to condemnation in the name of law without thinking what will happen to the occupants (Herlambang, 2006). In beach area, we can see many mangroves forest areas was reclaimed become luxury residents for the have.

SOLUTION

Those problems must take quick decision and right treatment from province government to reduce negative effects for people and next generation. Every change must take social and economic cost. That is what province government and city resident must face. In reality, many people live in city green open space areas and they won’t go from there. Province government must take quick action and distinct policy, even it not popular, to clean city green open space areas. Condemn and relocate their resident are some of many policy as shock therapy action and to restore city green space core function. It is not only for squatter area but also to luxury resident in beach area. Certainly, that policy must be socialized before execution and also give proper compensation to them.

To avoid that situation in next time, province government should make comprehensive city development plan, arranged by government side, expert and city stake holders (city resident, businessman, etc). Based on that plan, province government makes a policy to manage city comprehensively and distinctly. Focus to completely remove poverty, environment protecting, and increase city productivity called triangle of sustainability according to Serageldin (Nugroho, 2004), consist of aims interaction economic, social and ecology which is complete another and protect one another (Nugroho, 2004).

The important one is province government good will to make and implement it and also city resident paradigm changes about life quality for now and next generation, environment preservation and also city continuation. It never started if all elements never realize and do positive things now, from individual to institutional.

Toll : tariff collected without proper legal authority

IPB – Lab Perencanaan Lanskap Departemen Arsitektur Lanskap Fakultas Pertanian, Ruang Tebuka Hijau (RTH) Wilayah Perkotaan, www.

Lukman F. Mokoginta, Nasib Taman Kota Jakarta dalam Politik Kota dan Hak Warga Kota Masalah Keseharian Kota Kita, Jakarta: PT. Kompas Media Nusantara, 2006, hal 15.

Iwan Nugroho dan Rokhmin Dahuri, Pengembangan Wilayah : Perspektif Ekonomi, Sosial dan Lingkungan, Jakarta : LP3ES, 2004, hal. 224.

Soerjono Herlambang, Kisah Lapangan Monas, Politik Kota dan Hak Atas Kota dalam Politik Kota dan Hak Warga Kota Masalah Keseharian Kota Kita, Jakarta: PT . Kompas Media Nusantara, 2006, hal. xvi.