Jakarta Takes Proactive Steps: Pruning Aging Trees to Mitigate Storm Hazards and Why Public Action Matters
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo has directed the City Parks and Forests Department to prune aging trees throughout the capital as a proactive safety measure against recent high-velocity wind events.
Speaking on Tuesday, the governor underscored that while the city is actively trimming vulnerable trees, the unpredictable nature of localized storms remains a major challenge.
“I’ve instructed the Parks Department to tidy up all aging trees,” Pramono stated. “Yet even with these efforts, risks can persist because we can’t always predict the path of a whirlwind, such as the recent strikes in Ancol and Sunda Kelapa.”
A primary concern highlighted by the governor is the gap between government warnings and public action. He noted that while the Jakarta Provincial Government maintains close coordination with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to issue early warnings, these alerts are not always acted upon by residents.
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“We consistently update the public about extreme weather. We shouldn’t blame the weather alone; we must prepare for it,” Pramono said.
He also pointed out that the government had successfully forecasted a tidal flood 15 days in advance and issued warnings for the December 12 whirlwind in Ancol, yet public responsiveness remains a hurdle.
Despite damage from recent storms and tidal floods in North Jakarta, the governor assured residents that the city’s emergency response teams acted quickly and with strong coordination.
He urged residents to stay vigilant and to treat official weather alerts with greater urgency as the city faces a period of heightened climate volatility.
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Translator: Lifia Mawaddah Putri, Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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