Participatory Flood Risk Management: What the common man inside street can do
the item wasn’t unexpected although the item has happened many times before. although still, when confronted with the swirling mass of brown water on the street which only the various other day was used by cars, buses, ojek in addition to also pedestrians, one can only be amazed, in addition to also at the same time rather irritated. The top east-west section of Kemang Raya was totally flooded, nearly one metre deep, in addition to also This kind of had created the worst traffic gridlock at the Kemang-Antasari junction.
We have all heard the item before. What factors contribute to the floods in addition to also how difficult flood prevention can be without huge, complex in addition to also multidimensional infrastructural intervention; banjir (flood) canals, intensive dredging of the main rivers, a car-traffic tunnel which, when needed, can be turned into a floodwater catchment tube, in addition to also many more. although let’s face the item, these are all traditional reactive rather than proactive activities.
In a paper of 22 January 2013, Jan T.L. Yap, Lead Capacity Building Advisor, World Bank Jakarta Office, wrote:
Flood disasters are currently increasingly being seen as the outcome of cumulative risk processes rooted in poor land-use practices, ill-conceived development projects, lack of rules in addition to also guidelines, absence or inconsistent law enforcement, etc…The populations should be made aware which the item can be impossible to protect them against the risk of flood. Make them understand the meaning of risk, which the risk of flood can be real in addition to also the item can be always there to strike at any time.
After the disastrous floods of 2007, exactly which had already been attempted during the second half of which year, that has a project aiming to strengthen the communities’ proactive involvement in flood prevention in addition to also mitigation. Two of Jakarta’s neighbourhoods, the kelurahan of Petogogan in addition to also Tomang, were selected to try out This kind of brand new approach in addition to also the population was informed in depth about the objectives of the project in addition to also asked to contribute their time in addition to also efforts.
The response in Petogogan, located inside floodplain of the Krukut River, was exceptionally not bad. The area floods at least once a year up to a few centimetres; in 2007, however, the floods had reached a height of 2 metres. Tomang, located partly on the bank of the West Banjir Canal in addition to also partly on higher ground, was as a whole less interested, probably because the families on higher ground did not feel the need to participate.
The photographs below are meant to give a general idea about the two neighbourhoods; examples of the participatory activities are, however, for Petogogan only.
In Petogogan the people formed committees for each sub-unit (RW) of the neighbourhood. After some detailed instructions, they enthusiastically undertook the tasks of surveying the area’s drains, flood prone areas, in addition to also ways garbage in addition to also various other waste was disposed.
The drains were ranked according to who would likely be responsible for their maintenance; community or government. The community would likely take care of the drains which could be cleaned by hand – the minor ones – in addition to also the government would likely maintain those where equipment was needed.
The way waste in addition to also garbage by households, shops in addition to also tiny scale industries can be disposed was also assessed. The finding here was which people were very much willing to dispose of garbage in an environmentally friendly way. However, garbage collection, as organised by the municipality, was irregular in addition to also insufficient.
No wonder then which much of the waste ends up inside drains in addition to also rivers.
in addition to also even if individuals have a certain reluctance to dispose of their garbage This kind of way, the large amount of waste already floating inside river can be basically a silent approval to copy everybody else’s behaviour. “If they do the item, why shouldn’t I!”
in addition to also which seems to be the real problem. The “Power of One” gets swamped in This kind of case, literally. Somehow a threshold volume of correct waste disposal upholders needs to be formed, in addition to also not only in one stretch of a river, although along its whole run. At the same time, of course, the basic infrastructural facilities in addition to also services need to be put into place, such as garbage collection points (which are frequently emptied) in addition to also an effective O&M for the major drains.
the item can be concluded which in Petogogan in addition to also Tomang the enthusiasm of the communities to do something was very soon extinguished as the expected follow-up by the municipalities never materialised. The main drains remained clogged, or after having been serviced once were taken off the activities roster.
the item would likely be highly advisable if the authorities were to try again, in addition to also again in addition to also again, because several studies have shown which proper drainage of the Jakarta waterways would likely reduce flooding by up to 60%.
The problem can be enormous, although not unsolvable. What has become clear can be which, if properly approached in addition to also supported, people are willing to contribute their share in flood prevention.
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Participatory Flood Risk Management: What the common man inside street can do
Participatory Flood Risk Management: What the common man inside street can do