Antara 6 Apr 12;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Environment affairs minister Balthasar Kambuaya confirmed here on Thursday that the flash floods in several parts of Jakarta in recent days were due to excessive human exploitation of the environment.
"We should be introspective about the impact of the floods, while admitting to our mistakes in exploiting the environment," the minister said.
According to Kambuaya, all parties should participate in overcoming the flood issue as the funds (for flood handling) have already been allocated.
"Environmental damage has a lot to do with human attitude, so we should improve our behavior," he noted.
Meanwhile, environment deputy minister Arief Yuwono said that the public`s awareness should be raised to prevent further flash floods.
Also, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) forecasts additional rain in Jakarta over the next three days.
Thousands of families across Jakarta have already been affected by floods caused by heavy rains on the night of April 2 in Jakarta and Bogor.
The rains and subsequent flooding have also triggered severe traffic congestion across the city.
(D016)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
