Geology Expert from FMIPA UI Explains the Benefits of UI's Artificial Lake for the Campus Environment and Surroundings

March 22nd every year is always commemorated as World Water Day. This is in accordance with the agreement at the 47th United Nations (UN) general assembly on December 22, 1992.

World Water Day has been celebrated since 1993 as an effort to draw the world's attention to the importance of clean water and sustainable water resource management.

The main focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: Water and sanitation for all.

As reported by the UN website, World Water Day 2023 carries the theme "Be The Change" which means "Becoming Change." The meaning of the theme of World Water Day 2023 is to encourage people to take part in using, consuming, and managing water for the sustainability of their lives.

On this occasion, Lecturer of the Geology study program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI) Twin Hosea Widodo Kristyanto, M.T., revealed a number of benefits of the lake located at UI or better known as Lake UI which functions as a water catchment area.

Twin Hosea said that the function of the UI lake is as a water catchment that is not only beneficial for UI but also more broadly for the Depok area, including being useful for reducing the impact of flooding and supporting needs during drought.

"The existence of the lake in the UI area certainly supports the environmental carrying capacity of the Depok area. The form of its benefits can be in the form of its contribution to reducing the impact of floods and droughts, by storing large amounts of water and flowing it during times of water shortage. For example, a long dry season," said Twin Hosea, Tuesday (3/21/2023).

Danau UI, kata Twin, juga bermanfaat untuk mengisi kembali airtanah atau recharge in the UI area. So that it can positively affect the quality of groundwater below it because of the natural filtration process that occurs in the soil layer.

He further revealed that indirectly, UI Lake also contributes to regulating microclimate conditions in Depok City in relation to the hydrological cycle.

"UI Lake can play a role in preserving biodiversity and habitat in the UI area. Providing a clean water supply for animals living in the campus area, in particular and in Depok City in general," he explained.

He assessed that these varied benefits, if viewed as an integrated system, would also increase the environmental carrying capacity in the areas around UI and Depok City.

For your information, UI has six lakes, including Kenanga Lake, Aghatis Lake, Mahoni Lake, Puspa Lake, Ulin Lake, and Salam Lake.

"We need to maintain the quality of the UI lake, so that its benefits can be sustainable," he said.

News source : https://sci.ui.ac.id/