Authorities in disaster-prone areas are gearing up to face potential disasters. BNPB has proposed that a presidential instruction be issued that requires regions to have clear and strong disaster management plans.
By
MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO / RENY SRI AYU / YOLA SASTRA
·5 minutes read
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Hydrometeorological disasters like floods and landslides usually occur from the year-end to the beginning of the following year in many regions. Several regions are currently organizing disaster preparation measures amid the still traumatized survivors of previous disasters.
The measures include disseminating information on disaster risks, mapping disaster areas, setting up disaster command posts, holding disaster drills and organizing supplies and emergency funds.
Even so, concerns remain. "We are always on the alert and anxious, especially if it rains heavily for a long time," Purwanto, 50, who lives in Sampang Karangkobar village of Banjarnegara, Central Java, said on Thursday (12/12/2019).
Purwanto was the village head when a landslide struck the village’s Jemblung hamlet in December 2014, claiming 94 lives with another 20 missing. The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has since trained up to 30 villagers to recognize the signs of landslides and ground movements.
We are always on the alert and anxious, especially if it rains heavily for a long time.
Disaster mitigation training was also conducted in Jeneponto regency, South Sulawesi, which was hit by floods and flash floods this January. Hundreds of homes, schools, bridges and roads were destroyed, and 16 people were killed in the disaster. People living near the Kelara River Basin (DAS) in Jeneponto have been told to be on the alert and stockpile basic needs.
"We are improving the river flow. Next week, we will build a command post at the BPBD office," said Jeneponto BPBD head Anwaruddin.
The BPBD has also provided training to the people of several disaster-prone villages in Malang regency, East Java. Pujiharjo village, for example, has built several evacuation routes and meeting points since 2018.
"During the rainy season, workers from the public protection agency periodically check the river discharge. The rivers floods almost every year because it is shallow," said Pujiharjo village secretary Sri Kuncoro.
The village experienced flash floods in 2001, 2003 and 2016, triggered by the illegal logging that deforested the nearby hills.
Critical land
The East Java provincial administration’s data shows 1.5 million hectares of critical land in and outside the forest area. The Brantas, Bengawan Solo and Sampean watersheds have the largest area of critical land in the province. The Cimanuk and Citanduy watersheds, which stretch across West Java and Central Java, have around 100,000 hectares of critical land.
"It is quite extensive. It needs to be reforested," Rukma Dayadi, the head of the Cimanuk-Citanduy watershed and forest protection center, said during a recent workshop held by the National Watershed Recovery Movement in Sumber city, Cirebon regency.
At around six o’clock in the evening on Thursday, flash floods struck Bolapapu village in Sigi regency, about 70 kilometers south of Palu, Central Sulawesi, which was caused by an overflowing river in Pangana hamlet. A father and his son were killed in the flood, which carried mud, rocks and tree debris.
"This flood is similar to the one in 2011," said Bolapapu villager Udi, 30.
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), 274 regencies/municipalities with a combined population of 40.9 million were located in a medium-high landslide hazard zone.
It is quite extensive. It needs to be reforested
Those areas prone to landslides include Bukit Barisan in Sumatra, central and southern Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua. According to the data at Aceh’s Krueng watershed management center, the Krueng watershed has about 250,000 ha of critical land in protected and cultivated forests.
A study showed that many upstream areas in watersheds and forests were damaged in western Aceh (West Aceh, Nagan Raya, and South Aceh).
Land intended for infiltration has been converted into plantations, including oil palm plantations.
"If [land] upstream is not managed well, floods will continue to threaten the areas," said researcher Ella Meilianda of the tsunami and disaster mitigation center at Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh.
Backup plans
Due to the increasing occurrences of hydrometeorological disasters, the BNPB has recommended that a presidential instruction (inpres) be issued that requires regions to prepare contingency plans to optimize disaster management and mitigation.
BNPB head Doni Monardo said the agency was still discussing the inpres with Cabinet ministries.
"We will submit it once it been finalized," said Doni. The inpres would require regions to prepare contingency plans for before, during and after a disaster.
Disasters have geological, volcanological, hydrometeorological, industrial and technological causes, and an inpres was needed because many regents, mayors and regional secretaries were unaware of the history of disasters in their administrative areas.
As a result, the people are ill informed and unprepared when a disaster recurs.
"Earthquakes and tsunamis had occurred several times in one area I visited. The [local] officials were unaware [of this]," said Doni.
The presidential instruction would mandate regional administrations to prepare temporary disaster emergency funds. Funding was critical for the local government to provide first aid and implement disaster preparation without waiting for assistance from the central government.
"The central government is unlikely to be hands-off, but basically, the regions must have reserve funds," said Doni.
The allocation of disaster funds has increased over the last two years. In 2018, the disaster budget was Rp 7.3 trillion, while Rp 15 trillion of the 2019 reserve funds were allocated for disaster management. The figures exclude the BNPB budget and disaster insurance. (Kompas, 7/5/2019)
Local officials were expected to be more innovative in their approach to disaster mitigation, such as by using the government’s village funds scheme to restore damaged areas as conservation forests. (WER/VDL/IKI/AIN/RTG/BRO/VIO/NSA)