SURABAYA RIVER POLLUTION LEADS ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SURABAYA 000027

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SUBJECT: SURABAYA RIVER POLLUTION LEADS ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

SURABAYA 00000027 001.2 OF 002


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1. (SBU) Summary: Surabaya City faces immense challenges to its
water supply: pollution, seawater intrusion, and dwindling
ground water. The Surabaya River, which provides 90% of the
city's tap water, is being overwhelmed with industrial waste.
Enforcement of environmental regulations has been ineffective
and companies prefer to pay minimal fines rather than invest in
costly treatment facilities. Meanwhile, industrial demand has
lowered ground water levels and the destruction of protective
mangrove trees along the coast has increased seawater intrusion.
Surabaya's Planning and Development Board and local NGOs are
looking for opportunities to increase environmental awareness,
mitigate environmental damage, and protect Surabaya's vital
water resources. Ironically, although the city and the region's
largest media conglomerate Jawa Pos are the loudest voices
advocating environmental awareness, companies owned by both are
some of the largest contributors to river pollution. USAID's
Environmental Services Program (ESP) is focused on improving
water quality. End Summary.

Green and Clean, Except for the Water


2. (SBU) Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, is proud of
its "green and clean" initiative, which transformed the city's
disused parks and urban areas into inviting public spaces and
won kudos from the media and environmental organizations. In
contrast, unchecked river pollution, seawater intrusion, and
dwindling ground water threaten to create a water crisis.
According to Tri Rismaharini, Head of Surabaya's Planning and
Development Board and the architect of the city's green urban
renewal, Surabaya's water supply situation will become critical
over the next five years. She added that Surabaya cannot depend
on the provincial government to resolve the situation. The city
has already built several small dams in western Surabaya to
retain rain water for use during the dry season.


3. (SBU) NGO representatives and Tri Rismaharini agree that
Surabaya's most daunting environmental problem is pollution in
the Surabaya River. The Surabaya River provides 90% of the tap
water for 3 million residents, yet the river is being
overwhelmed with industrial waste. More than 75 tons of waste
is dumped into the river every day, although experts suggest the
river can absorb no more than 35 tons of waste per day.
Approximately 85% of the waste comes from industries located
near the river; 90% of this waste comes from the local paper
industry.


4. (SBU) Four paper companies located in Surabaya and nearby
Gresik -- PT Mekabox, PT Suprama, PT Surabaya Agung Kertas, and
PT Adiprima Sura Printa -- have received low rankings from the
Department of the Environment and are considered the primary
contributors of river pollution. Dahlan Iskan, the CEO of media
giant Jawa Pos Group and owner of PT Adiprima Sura Printa, has
pledged Rp 2 billion (USD 166 thousand) to build a waste
treatment facility for his factory. Unfortunately, that sum
won't cover the costs. Tri Rismaharini has proposed the city
build a joint waste pipeline/treatment facility that would allow
multiple factories to share the cost of waste treatment and
reduce river pollutants.

Few Penalties for Polluting


5. (SBU) In general, local industries are unwilling to invest in
costly waste treatment facilities or to maintain existing
facilities as the fines for violating environmental regulations
are minimal. The highest penalty imposed to date for water
pollution in Surabaya is Rp 5 million (USD 415). In late
January 2009, joint water patrols between the Surabaya police,
East Java Trade Department, the water company, and local NGOs
discovered that the Surabaya Slaughter House (owned by the city
of Surabaya) was dumping raw waste into the river after its
waste treatment facility broke down. No charges have yet been
filed. Reporting environmental crime doesn't pay. In nearby
Mojokerto regency, the man who accused a local company of
polluting the river was convicted of ruining the company's "good
name" and sentenced to six months in jail. In other cases, NGOs
complain that many cases of environmental crimes are closed
after the company pays a "fine" to the police.


6. (SBU) The former Governor of East Java ordered a number of
companies to stop releasing waste into the river after receiving
reports of untreated waste being dumped. Under provincial
regulation #2/2008, the environmental protection agency at the
regency/city level, rather than the provincial level, has the

SURABAYA 00000027 002.2 OF 002


authority to issue liquid waste disposal permits and the
authority to close a factory's outlet to the river if it is
found to be polluting the river. Unfortunately, local
governments do not have the infrastructure or personnel to
monitor or evaluate compliance.

National Strategic River


7. (SBU) The Indonesian government recently declared the
Surabaya River a "National Strategic River," meaning that the
Ministry of Public Work has the sole authority to utilize,
maintain, and manage the river. As a result, only the Minister
of Public Work, not local or provincial officials, has the
authority to regulate building along the river or approve
development plans involving the river. The city blames
uncoordinated industrial development in nearby Sidoarjo and
Gresik for many of Surabaya's water problems. City officials
and NGOs fear that the Ministry's involvement will complicate
efforts to reduce pollution and increase water supplies.

Mangroves, Education, and Environmental Awareness


8. (SBU) Low-lying Surabaya is threatened by rising sea levels,
a situation exacerbated by the destruction of protective
mangroves along the coast line. Local residents cut down the
mangroves to make room for fish ponds and other aquaculture.
The Surabaya city government is planning to develop a 1,600
hectare mangrove forest tourism area in eastern Surabaya as part
of a wide-ranging effort to strengthen Surabaya's natural
defenses. This particular area is reportedly home to a wide
variety of mangrove and bird species whose habitat is threatened.


9. (SBU) In Surabaya, USAID's ESP works on increasing access to
clean water for low income families, improving the energy
efficiency of the water utilities, as well as community-based
solid waste management, city sanitation action planning to
generate wastewater solutions, and changes in health and hygiene
behavior. City officials and NGO reps are working on plans to
increase environmental awareness in schools and communities.
The Surabaya PKK, a community women's organization, has more
than 30,000 environmental cadres working on environmental and
health issues. One of PKK's programs is to encourage urban
farming and composting. With the support of PKK, the city
reduced the volume of garbage by 10% each year.


10. (SBU) Tunas Hijau, a local environmental NGO, is working
with schools in Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Gresik and Malang to promote
environmental awareness among children. The Regent of Gresik
issued a decree requiring schools to include environmental
awareness as part of the school's curriculum. Tunas Hijau is
planning to host a "Surabaya Climate Challenge" for junior and
senior high school students focused on garbage management, tree
planting, energy saving, and environmentally friendly
transportation.
MCCLELLAND