Muhammad Adek Rizaldi, Director of Operations and Maintenance, Public Works Ministry: We Hope to Continue Receiving Oversight
Monday, December 2, 2024
Long-delayed decrees to establish legal boundaries to restore and protect lakes from exploitation require cooperation across government and local agencies.
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IT has taken more than a decade since the issuance of the Public Works and People’s Housing Minister Regulation No. 28/2015 on the Determination of River and Lake Boundaries to apply to lakes. Several teams from the Ministry were deployed to 30 selected lake locations in Banten and West Java to implement the pilot project for issuing boundary decrees for these lakes.
Currently, the teams are in their second year of work, aiming to issue 30 boundary decrees (SK) by the end of December. The decrees are expected to create buffer zones for each small lake to help protect them from the pressures of population growth.
Muhammad Adek Rizaldi, Director of Operations and Maintenance at the Directorate-General of Water Resources at the Public Works Ministry, acknowledged that this initiative is overdue. The delay has led to accumulated pressures and exploitation of those lakes. The evidence is clear, as many lakes have already shrunk, and their boundaries have been encroached upon by numerous ownership claims and land use changes.
“This indeed requires the involvement of all parties. We cannot be the only ones working to preserve the existing lakes,” said Muhammad Adek Rizaldi during an interview with Irsyan Hasyim and Zacharias Wuragil from Tempo in his office on September 23, 2024.
Adek, who was accompanied by Gemala Susanti, Head of Subdirectorate for Region II at the Directorate of Operations and Maintenance, outlined the challenges surrounding the pilot project for the issuance of lake boundary decrees.
Is it true that there has been no regulation protecting the existence of a lake?
Yes, because lakes are classified as state assets. When we try to register them as assets in the state gazette or apply for certificates from the National Land Agency (BPN), we are asked for proof of ownership. However, there is none, as lakes are naturally formed. Currently, the Finance Ministry is processing a draft of the State Assets Law, which will regulate the ownership of state assets.
Once the lake boundary decree is issued, what will follow in terms of lake maintenance?
With this boundary decree, our hope is that it will regulate the utilization of the buffer zone, not for ownership. If we were to own it, we would have to relinquish the ownership currently in place. Based on the National Strategy for Corruption Prevention (Stranas PK) agreement with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), there needs to be a national policy first for this utilization.
From the actions the government has taken on large priority lakes, how significant is the change brought about by the boundary decree?
First, we can save the existing (water) holding capacity. We have cleaned and addressed the issues of water hyacinths and sedimentation. The goal is to restore the lakes to their original condition. More importantly, once the boundary is established, we will begin fencing off the areas to prevent the construction of buildings that do not align with the designated purposes.
Are you sure that this boundary decree will make the lakes better protected?
The important thing is that we understand the condition of the lakes we have designated. So, in the future, if new constructions or other issues arise, we will know who is responsible. We will continue our efforts to protect them. But sometimes there are limits to what we can do on our own, so it is necessary to involve all parties in the protection process. For example, the issuance of boundary decrees should be followed by adjustments to the relevant regional spatial plans.
How is the pilot project for the boundary decree being implemented? Are other agencies cooperative?
Fortunately, there is oversight and support from the KPK through Stranas PK. We hope to continue receiving them. Other agencies, like local governments, are also supportive. However, the new challenge now is managing the current situation, as BPN does not distinguish between applications for (ownership) certificates from the state or individuals. As long as the evidence is deemed sufficient, certificates will be issued. The success of this initiative depends on the communication between all parties regarding the preservation of lakes.