Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Ministry of Population and Family Development is preparing an action plan to anticipate the rising trend of urbanization every year, particularly following the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
The plan was drafted during a coordination meeting with 15 ministries and agencies in Jakarta on Wednesday.
"The urgency of this meeting stems from the fact that urbanization is not just a seasonal issue occurring during Eid and the return flow; it also impacts regional planning if not properly anticipated," the ministry's secretary, Budi Setiyono, said.
He pointed out that Jakarta sees an influx of approximately 16,000 new residents annually due to rural-to-urban migration. This growth must be managed across various sectors, including education, healthcare, housing, and other public services.
"If not calculated precisely, there will be risks of overpopulation, traffic congestion, and a decline in the quality of public welfare, as well as a potential rise in crime," he said.
Setiyono emphasized that well-managed urbanization, both strategically and technically, can help create more integrated policies, particularly as the Population Development Roadmap (PJPK) is being drafted.
Meanwhile, Deputy for Population Control at the ministry, Bonivasius Prasetya Ichtiarto, underscored that the influx of homecoming travelers who bring along their relatives to urban areas tends to be left unaddressed without strong coordination of ministries and agencies.
As a result, he continued, the management of urbanization has been left entirely to regional governments—both in the receiving areas and the areas being left behind. Thus, a national-level policy is necessary to serve as a shared reference.
Furthermore, he noted that Indonesia already possesses indicators such as the net migration rate, which measures the difference between the number of people entering (in-migration) and leaving (out-migration) an area over a specific period, typically per 1,000 residents annually.
"This can showcase population movement trends. If this indicator is utilized optimally, regions can prepare anticipatory measures, be it to accommodate incoming residents or to encourage people to stay rather than continuously move to the cities," he remarked.
Therefore, he expressed optimism that coordinating with 15 ministries and agencies to draft a joint action plan would help regional governments in managing urbanization flows with better synergy.
