Jakarta has a close relationship with trees. Many areas in the capital are named after trees. Now, however, they are just names.
By
IRENE SARWINDANINGRUM
·5 minutes read
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
A member of the Pedestrian Coalition hugs a tree on a sidewalk along Jl. Sudirman on Friday (22/9/2017) in Central Jakarta. The tree-hugging campaign protested the Jakarta administration’s plans to cut down trees as part of its road and sidewalk revitalization project.
Jakarta has a close relationship with trees. Many areas in the capital are named after trees: Menteng, Kemang, Cempaka Putih, Gambir and Kebon Melati. Now, however, they are just names.
In Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States, a white oak was ill. It made all the city’s residents sad. The Washington Post reported that local residents called a tree expert to check the surrounding soil and do anything possible to bring the 277-year-old tree back to health.
However, when this article was written, the cause of the illness was still not known. The residents were only waiting and expecting the tree to recover.
The white oak attracted the attention of city residents because it has a close relationship with social development in the city. The tree had been there when their ancestors arrived and started building the community.
In Kyoto, Japan, trees aged hundreds of years are well treated. A 450-year-old Ginkgo or Maidenhair tree has become an attraction for visitors to Nishi Honganji Temple. So is the old district of Ninenzaka, traditional houses are accompanied with old trees that attract tourists.
Illegal tree cutting does not only occur in forests. It also occurs in the heart of cities.
In the neighborhood, Kyoto residents’ appreciation of trees is also common. Amid limited space, like in Jakarta, there is a resident who shares space with a tree, which grows inside the house walls.
In Jakarta, a 15-year-old tree is considered old enough. From July 2016-July 2017, 5,353 trees were cut down to make way for infrastructure and transportation projects, such as the light rapid transit (LRT) project, underpass, overpass and toll roads. As many as 4,416 trees were cut down and 937 others were relocated.
Illegal tree cutting does not only occur in forests. It also occurs in the heart of cities. As many as 17 trees were the subject of illegal logging. Some trees were cut down because they blocked access to a person’s house, some trees were cut for the wood.
Jakarta Forestry Office social empowerment and law enforcement head Henri Perez said losing a tree was equal to losing Rp 17 million. The amount was calculated from economic and ecological value. It means the total loss from logging in 2017 was Rp 289 million.
In 2017, the Jakarta Forestry Office prosecuted the perpetrators for minor crimes. Of the 17 cases that went through the court, the state received Rp 254 million in compensation.
Illegal logging in Jakarta violates Regional Regulation No 8/2007 Article 12 Point G.
Kompas/Irene Sarwindaningrum
This October 2017 file photo shows a tree that has been left to grow out of a house in a village in Kyoto, Japan. The tree, part of which is inside the house, is supported by large boulders and blocked off with traffic cones. Amid the scarcity of open land, the people of Kyoto continue to protect and share their living space with trees.
Withered due to disaster
Trees were not only cut down. It is estimated that about 1,000 trees, or 1 percent of the one million trees in Jakarta are in poor condition due to urban pressure. The pressure comes from development projects or the erection of utilities. The roots, trunk and branches of trees become damaged due to the insensitive behavior of residents.
Jakarta Forestry Office forestry head Jaja Suarja expressed his anger. “I have told residents repeatedly to help take care of the trees,” he said.
The damage weakens trees and makes them susceptible to uprooting or breaking. The damage is also a result of a failure during the planting process. Many banyan trees were not planted deep enough or their roots were trimmed.
During 2017, about 245 trees toppled and 157 trees suffered broken branches, especially during heavy rain or strong winds. Three people were killed and two were injured when two trees collapsed. As many as 154 tree insurance claims were submitted for vehicle damage, building damage, injuries or fatalities. The amount paid out was quite high, Rp 408 million.
Tree replacement
Jaja said if trees were maintained properly, they would grow well in Jakarta. Those who want to cut down trees, such as infrastructure developers, have to replace every felled tree with 10 trees.
Kompas/Irene Sarwindaningrum
A woman admires an old ginkgo tree in October 2017 at the Nishi Honganji in Kyoto, Japan. The tree, estimated to be 450 years old, is supported by wooden beams and is fenced in so that it is not disturbed. Caring for its old trees is part of the city’s history, which has now become a tourist attraction.
However, replacing trees is not easy. One problem is finding space for the trees. Not all locations can be planted with trees because some areas have low water catchment levels. “The best locations have been used for property development,” Jaja said.
Trees get only a little appreciation from Jakarta residents because they are seen as not providing any direct economic benefit to them. But can we imagine a city without trees?
In their book Komedi Lenong: Satire Ruang Terbuka Hijau (Lenong Comedy: A Satire On Green Space), Nirwono Joga and Yori Antar say urban development that ignores environmental sustainability has a direct impact in the form of disasters hitting Jakarta one after the other. The disasters include flooding, a lack of clean water and air pollution.
Various research studies show that a one-hectare open green space full of huge trees can fulfill the needs of urban life. That space produces 0.6 tons of oxygen for 1,500 people to breathe every day, absorbs 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide per year, saves 900 cubic meters of ground water per year and transfers 4,000 liters of water per day. Moreover, trees can also lower temperatures by 5-8 degrees Celsius, absorb noise by 25-80 percent and reduce wind by 75-80 percent.
The gas emissions generated by one car can be absorbed by four huge trees with a height of 10 meters, a diameter of more than 10 centimeters and wide leaves.
The tree, Nirwono said in his book, in Arabic is history. History originates from a word whose meaning connects the past, present and future.
