Participants Surprised The Existence of Temple in UII

Participants come from nine countries who following International Training Program about “Environmental Management in Urban Areas” was attended environmental tour both in Yogyakarta and Surakarta. In Yogyakarta, they came and visited Solid Waste Management office at Kartamantul Joint Secretariat (Sekretariat Bersama Yogyakarta Sleman dan Bantul), Water Waste Installation And Management Project (Instalasi Pengelolaan Air Limbah) at Sewon, Bantul Yogyakarta and also Coastal Management at Kuwaru Beach, Yogyakarta. This environmental tour held on Thursday, 10 January 2013 in Yogyakarta.

Participants come from nine countries who following International Training Program about “Environmental Management in Urban Areas” was attended environmental tour both in Yogyakarta and Surakarta. In Yogyakarta, they came and visited Solid Waste Management office at Kartamantul Joint Secretariat (Sekretariat Bersama Yogyakarta Sleman dan Bantul), Water Waste Installation And Management Project (Instalasi Pengelolaan Air Limbah) at Sewon, Bantul Yogyakarta and also Coastal Management at Kuwaru Beach, Yogyakarta. This environmental tour held on Thursday, 10 January 2013 in Yogyakarta.

“When participants visit Kartamantul site, they realize the lack environmental management of local government in Yogyakarta. They see so many waste picker live and done their activities collecting the waste without the healthy safety. The government should established strict regulation to manage the area of Kartamantul. Beside the strict law, local government also should give health facility for people who worked and also for waste picker in Kartamantul.” said Dra. Sri Wartini, S.H., M.Hum, P.hD., the head of the committee.

Beside visited some environmental management site in Yogyakarta, participants also had a chance to visit environmental management in Surakarta. During the tour on Monday, 14 January 2013 at Surakarta, participants also interested to study how environmental management in Surakarta such as Surakarta Urban Forest, Sebelas Maret University and Batik Traditional Market. The most interested site in Surakarta based on participants opinion was Urban Forest around Bengawan Solo River Bank. “Bengawan Solo is one biggest river in Central Java. Before 2010, Local Government of Surakarta face difficulties to relocate society near the river and moved them into the safe place. Recently, local government of Solo succeed to relocate society near the river and build Urban Forest Park. Participants argued that the big effort of Local Government to manage the land surrounding Bengawan Solo river will make the people live in safety and also save the environment.” said Dodik Setiawan Nur Heriyanto, SH, MH as the Vice Committee.

Participants also surprised about the existence of temple in the UII central campus. Vice Rector UII, Nandang Sutrisno, S.H., M.H, L.LM, PhD guided and welcomed all the participants went around the temple and university’s museum. He said that when UII want to established the library building, the contractor found the temple inside the land. Then the Ministry of Cultural and Tourism Indonesia cooperate with the UII to save the temple and re-designed the library architecture. Most participants enjoy and learn about the temple and the history of the university both by Vice Rector and instructor.