TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Sarwo Handayani, Deputy of Spatial Planning and Environment in the Jakarta Regional Government, said that the city administration plans to assess cooperation on the evaluation of flood management masterplan. The plan came to as a notion following the visit of Dutch Ambassador for Indonesia, Tjeerd F. de Zwaan, to the City Hall.
Yani added that cooperation on flood management evaluation is necessary, because Jakarta needs more downstream management rather than upstream. Adding more water reservoir will serve as a resort of option to help fight flood. As for the upstream management, Jakarta will make use of reservoir, pump, and river normalization.
The Dutch, having applied the concept of living in harmony with water, is far more experienced in dealing with such issue where the country's land is situated below sea level. Therefore, cooperation may take place in the form of the construction of giant sea wall in the northern coast of Jakarta.
Moreover, Yani said that cooperation in education on water management is also necessary. Yani said that such cooperation can begin with the continuation of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development stage B. In this stage, the Rotterdam water pump system will be applied in North Jakarta.
LINDA HAIRANI