Speaking during a working meeting with Commission XII of the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Wednesday, Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stated that his side conducted an evaluation after recent flooding in Greater Jakarta, whose drainage basins originate in West Java.
“We are requesting a review of the West Java regional spatial plan that included the removal of nearly 1.4 million hectares of protected areas,” he remarked.
Nurofiq stressed that spatial planning needs to be reevaluated, as the loss of protected zones, many of which serve as water catchment areas, is one of the contributing factors to flooding.
“Upon further examination, we found that the West Java spatial planning also contradicts the recommendations from the strategic environmental assessment issued by the Environment Ministry, which is a prerequisite for spatial plan revisions,” he added.
The ministry has formally requested a review of the province's spatial planning by sending a letter addressed to the West Java governor, district heads, and mayors as part of its evaluation steps following this year’s flood incidents.
Nurofiq also stated that the ministry has urged the West Java Provincial Government to re-examine environmental permits granted to several business units suspected of contributing to the worsening flood conditions around the Ciliwung and Bekasi drainage basins.
“We have detailed this in the letter, including the names and locations of the companies,” he remarked.
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Translator: Prisca, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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