Jakarta, Rotterdam Strengthen Urban Water Management

Jakarta, Sept 16 (Antara) - The city administrations of Jakarta and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, are strengthening their relationship in the field of urban water management through "The Dutch Training and Exposure Programme." "The program is managed by a Dutch educational institution, Nuffic Neso Indonesia, in terms of selection and preparation before departure, in Indonesia," Director of Nuffic Neso Indonesia Mervin Bakker stated in a press release received in Delft, the Netherlands, on Wednesday. He remarked that the program is part of the implementation of the sister city agreement signed between Mayor of Rotterdam Ahmad Aboutaleb and Governor of Jakarta Joko Widodo in September 2013. Through this agreement, Rotterdam and Jakarta are working together to integrate urban water management, including capacity development and knowledge exchange. This unique program focuses on integrated urban water management and offers an opportunity to the staff members of Jakarta city administration to learn about water management in the delta city for three months. Meanwhile, Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia Tjeerd F. De Zwaan said the program was cooperation between two cities - Rotterdam and Jakarta. There are four batches of six participants. The first batch is scheduled to leave in September 2014, and the last batch will return in May 2016. The participants will observe and participate in the daily activities of the community in Rotterdam and in the Delfland Water Board, the Netherlands, and compare and learn how other organizations deal with the same problem in a different context. Applied Science of University of Rotterdam will play a vital role in supervising and guiding the participants during the implementation of the program. "This program is a perfect example of new ways of increasing bilateral cooperation, in which higher education institutions and the government work closely together in projects and programs and in which all organizations involved contribute something to make it a success," Bakker affirmed. In the meantime, Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia Tjeerd F. de Zwaan noted that this program is the fruit of the cooperation established between the two delta cities, Rotterdam and Jakarta. It is also part of the broader cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands with regard to water management. "This cooperation is not limited to both central governments but brings a wide range of actors together, knowledge institutes, companies, NGOs, and local governments," he pointed out. Besides Jakarta, the administration city of Surabaya, East Java, and Semarang, Central Java, have also worked together with the administration of Dutch municipalities and water boards, the ambassador remarked. Vice Governor of Jakarta Basuki Tjahaja Purnama stated that this program is a good opportunity, especially for the younger staff members, to study in the Netherlands. "It can be part of a strong foundation to change and build a new Jakarta," he added.