'Drought' in Jogja

Development, Environmental Issues

and Our Response

'Drought in Jogja' is not just an expression in cyber world but it is real in daily world. Mural art as a symbol of creativity of street artists also described this phenomenon. 'Drought in Jogja' contained a message and warning that people living in Yogyakarta must be alert that their surrounding in a threat of water shortage.

A topic on social justice discussing ‘Drought in Jogja’ became a hot topic among participants who have ever  attended Stube-HEMAT training on Christianity and Social Justice. This group was called Enviro 16, consisting of 6 students from Institut Teknologi Yogyakarta (ITY): Timotius, Olive, Cindy, Lili, Martina and Mendo, plus Agus, Eman and Peter, also the representatives of Stube-HEMAT, Yohanes and Stenly.

On Monday, March 28, 2016, in the secretariat of Christian Student Fellowship (PMK) ITY, they discussed introduction of actual issues concerning development and its effects toward environment in Yogyakarta. Yohanes shared a story about Yogyakarta in the past, where many people loved walking on the pavement, shady trees along the road side; people cycling joyfully passing by; while youngsters got chances to find lovers in Yogyakarta. But now, everything has changed. The development spread to edge of the city. Physical and non-physical development expanded to encounter population growth. The construction of large buildings leaped over the development of human dignity. Many large buildings, especially hotels and malls have exploited the groundwater which trigger dryness of people’s wells. Many people faced difficulty in obtaining water. Yogyakarta is getting dry. Development brings positive and negative impacts. People get the benefit but also feeling anxiety. People are worried about the decreasing of environmental quality. People prosecute fair development, pro to environment.

The discussion participants were students of environmental study, they should be familiar with the issues. But, this assumption was not absolutely correct, because they learn development and its effects and focus on the scale of national issues such as mining, agriculture, and industry. So, local issues in Yogyakarta were not be learned in their study even though it is interesting and important.

Agus, one of the participants, commented on the development of infrastructure in the rural regions. "The construction of factories influenced economic life, culture and environment in the region. In economical aspect, development increases revenue and cash flow to the area. It means benefits for economic growth. In cultural aspect, industrial growth affects society lifestyle, pushes to higher consumption while the spirit of saving money is no longer interesting. In the environmental aspect, the development is profitable but it needs correction and improvement. Because some companies meet the criteria of EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment), and some others do not, so pollution and environmental damage still happened.” Agus referred to mining companies, tourism, agriculture and public infrastructure.

This group wishes that more and more friends who are aware of the environment changing, be wiser in managing it and eager to share understanding of love to environment to many people, so they become aware that the environment is important to be maintained. Keeping environment means maintaining righteous life. (YDA).