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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Economy & Trade

Prospering Java: The Green That Once Was Eternal - And The Longing to Return

From Tempo · (18m ago) Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The article reflects on the historical state of Java, contrasting its past ecological balance and harmony with nature, as described by Thomas Stamford Raffles, to its current strained condition.
  • Java's present challenges are attributed not just to its large population but to a fundamental shift away from living in sync with the environment, leading to issues like water scarcity and flooding.
  • The piece calls for a return to a more sustainable relationship with the island's ecosystem, referencing the insights of engineers like Willem Johan van Blommestein who understood Java's natural systems.

As Tempo, we often delve into the soul of Indonesia, and few places hold as much historical and ecological significance as Java. This piece, penned by RJ Lino, former president director of PT Pelindo II, evokes a profound sense of longing for a Java that once was – a Java described by Thomas Stamford Raffles as a place of perpetual verdure and harmonious living systems.

Its verdure is perpetual.

— Thomas Stamford RafflesDescribing the lushness of Java in his book, 'The History of Java'.

Raffles's descriptions in 'The History of Java' paint a picture of an island in balance: gentle rivers, sprawling mangroves, and lush mountains. It was an island where water was abundant even in the dry season, and the air remained gentle. This was not just a beautiful landscape; it was a complete, self-sustaining ecosystem that supported a thriving civilization. This historical perspective is crucial for us in Indonesia, as it serves as a stark reminder of what we have lost and what we must strive to regain.

Java, at that time, was not simply beautiful. It was complete.

— Thomas Stamford RafflesReflecting on the holistic balance of Java's ecosystem in the past.

Today, Java, home to over 160 million people, is undeniably strained. The article rightly points out that the issue isn't just the population density, but our collective departure from a system that worked with nature. The rivers, once carriers of life, now often carry our waste. The water cycle, once a source of blessing, has become a source of contradiction – too much during the rains, too little during the dry spells. This is a reality we grapple with daily across the archipelago, and Java is its most concentrated manifestation.

Today, Java carries more than 160 million people within a space that was never designed to hold such weight.

— RJ LinoHighlighting the immense population pressure on the island.

The paradox of land-based transportation, despite Java being an island, is a particularly Indonesian challenge. The reliance on trucking, often cited as the cheapest option, masks the true costs – congestion, air pollution, and the immense energy consumed by a system under constant pressure. This reliance on habit over sustainable practice is a critical point for us to consider. The legacy of thinkers like Willem Johan van Blommestein, an engineer who deeply understood Java's natural systems, offers a path forward. His perspective, rooted in a profound affection for the island, reminds us that engineering and environmental harmony are not mutually exclusive, but essential partners for Java's future.

What we call efficiency is, in many ways, simply habit.

— RJ LinoCritiquing the current transportation system's reliance on habit over true efficiency and sustainability.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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