REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, Plague
Rainwater is the grace of God and the river is a channel for mercy. Indeed, the river is the source of life (water and protein), pulse nexus/economy, forming civilization and giver of hope. But due to corruption, rain water and river turned into a source of disaster.
River-based disaster stems from upstream areas damaged as a result of government policy (central and local) and its implementation are not pro upstream area. This is compounded by the greed, corruption and poverty.
Spatial and mountainous areas or upstream were in shambles. Forest area/conservation was converted to agricultural land/plantation, settlement of the rich and the poor with their own reasons along with tourism industry complex: hotels, motels, and villas with all its recreational facilities. As a result, it reduced water catchment areas, caused erosion, landslides and flash floods in the rainy season and hard to find water in the dry season.
Having no other choice, poor people are forced to make a living and stay in upstream areas/mountains and along the rivers. They lost and displaced by the more powerful, the wealthy, the educated people and the owner of the industry. The poor resided and work at the edge of the upstream river due to hunger. Famine on stomachs caused them hungry to the source of life and a place to stay. They do it out of necessity (need).
Poor farmers cultivated steep slopes and cliffs with vegetables, with roots that are not strong enough gripping the ground, until susceptible to erosion, "run-off ", landslides and floods with high sediment content resulting in silting of the river. In the middle and downstream areas of the river, the poor build shanty houses resulting in narrowing of the river. They also make the river as a garbage dump. Again, this is due to the impact of poverty resulting less education.
Meanwhile, the rich, the educated and owners of industries penetrated upstream, midstream and downstream of the river as luxury residences, recreation and business area due to a greed to pursue satisfaction (pleasure). Building villas and luxury housing complex on the edge of the river valley and they give beautiful names like "Green Valley", "Valley View" and "River View". Poor people do not want to lose; they called the settlement as "girli", stands for the edge of river.
Admittedly, poor people with less education easily persuaded to cooperate by rich people to destroy forests and river watersheds. Government policy known as the four pros, the "pro-growth" (growth)," pro-jobs" (create jobs)," pro-poor" (friendly to the poor) and "pro-environment" (protecting the environment) is not running as it need. The reason is the next fifth pro, namely: "the project". Almost all of them and arbitrarily used as a project with all the corruption practices.
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