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Vehicle manufacturers should take some responsibility for the serious air pollution in the city
by planting five trees for every motor vehicle they produce, environment experts said.
Zulfan A Rambe, operational director of Indonesian Hazardous Materials and Waste
Research (IHWaR) Foundation told a discussion in commemoration of World Tree Day on Nov. 21
trees must be planted to balance for the pollution the city vehicles are responsible for.
We will propose to the city administration to oblige the automotive manufacturers to plant five
trees for each motor vehicle they produce.

“The administration should make regulations about corporate responsibilities to deal with the
pollution problem.”
Environmental technology expert Eddy Soentjahyo said motor vehicle emission has
contributed up to 70 percent of air pollution in the city, which has more than 5.5 million motor vehicles.
Experts have said open green spaces one alternative solution to deal with air pollution,

because it reduces carbon emission by absorbing pollutants and reload source of oxygen to clean the
air. They said trees can improve drainage by preventing soil erosion and absorbing rainwater. “The
automotive industry also has the responsibility to provide green areas as the solution of pollution
problem,” Eddy said. Manufacturers should join together to buy land in the city where trees could be
planted, he said.
Eddy also suggested property developers consider making green areas on rooftops to absorb
the sun heat.
Daud Silalahi from the University of Padjajaran in Bandung keeps losing its open green space

due to residential and industrial developments.
Some 9 percent of Jakarta’s city area is made up of “open green space”, said city
administration, but the 2007 Law on Spatial Planning stipulates a city should provide at least 30
percent of its total size for open green space.
“What I (am) concerned (for) the most is that we have the law without implementation

procedures,” Daun said.
The Jakarta Post, Saturday, December 1, 2007
Picture: http://www.joekaz.net