The Important of Watersheds

Watershed area is an important part in space and city planning. This part should not to be mistaken in planning. The area has been determined to be water infiltration, must be maintained and if it not it can be the disaster during the large intensity and quantity of rainfall into runoff water.

Most of big cities in Indonesia has same problem in facing urbanization, it results green open space decrease day by day because of the needs of residence. Physical development that not based on environmental sustainability will have a negative effect in the future such as flood or the quantity of groundwater. Water infiltration can not be separated from green open space. Ideally, every town has 30% green open space from total area of the city that may be lakes (reservoirs), green belt, parks and urban forests.

Jakarta currently only has green open space less than 9% of the total area. Vegetation cover watersheds also affect absorption of water catchment areas. More vegetation that covered  watersheds and the right type of vegetation, can help the water catchment areas to absorb runoff.

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Trash Around Us

Waste and its management is a classic problem in big cities, including Jakarta. More than 5000 tons of garbage produced in Jakarta. Trash can not be separated from life, many things have been done to facilitate the waste management. One of it is the separation of organic and anorganic waste. However, in practice this is not much help.

There are still many people who do not realize or maybe do not understand differences between organic and inorganic waste, so that where there is a trash bin, even though it have been labelled, people in big cities often don’t realize that.

In addition, things that can be one of waste management is to reduce the amount of waste daily, whether plastic, paper, and the other kind of garbage. Here are some of activities that can be done to reduce the amount of waste:

• Always carry a cloth bag / reusable bag every day and refuse plastic bags when shopping.
• Bring a water bottle / tumblr so no need to buy bottled water in plastic if not indispensable.
• Do not buy items that are not needed.
• Utilize domestic waste as a fertilizer
• Recycle waste, eg paper, plastic (for crafts), bottles and cans as plant pots, and so on.

The easiest way to start things over is to start with yourself, then invite the smallest environment (the family) to familiarize with things like state above to reduce the amount of waste.

Interiorscaper, Reforming Room by Designing Plant

One of elements in developing green city is the increasing of green building located in one area in ​​the city. The important thing is that the construction of green buildings are set being eco-friendly building, energy efficient, and green materials (plants in it). In designing plants in a room or building, interiorscaper is the one that can give service.

Interiorscaper or Interiorlandscaper/plantdesigner/plantscaper is a professional designer with horticultural educational background, which has set up plants work well in a confined space in offices, malls, and homes that use a lot of water condition as a means of cooling the room.

Interiorscaper responsible for the arrangement of plants in to avoid "Sick Building Syndrome". Based on research conducted by Dr. Virginia Lohr (Washington state University), ornamental plants increase worker productivity and reduce stress, strengthened also in research published in the "Journal of Environmental Horticulture", that worker productivity increased by 12% when working near the plant compared to the not adjacent to the plant.

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