Get Ready, Cities

Disaster. The word is increasingly familiar in our ears. In fact, more and more people in this country have experienced it first hand. Data and facts show this.

REBIYYAH SALASAH

Sahur in the tent of one of the flood disaster refugees in Kawunggading Village, Cibulakan Village, Cugenang District, Cianjur Regency, Friday (24/3/2023).

In this land of only two seasons, disaster comes and goes. Type in the word disaster in a search bar, and more than 40 million results appear in a split second, ranging from definitions, cases, locations, to the institutions dealing with it.

Every year, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) releases data on disaster occurrences along with their scope and impact. Millions of human lives have been affected, as well as productive land, public infrastructure and settlements. It is incalculable how much money the losses have caused.

The latest data from 2012 to 2022, out of 30,771 disaster events, the majority hit cities or urban areas with 44.95 million people affected (Kompas, 15/5/2023).

Also read:

> Cities in Indonesia are Hit by Disasters

> The Misery of Living with Flash Floods and Rob Floods in Semarang

Statistics also say that 56.7 percent of Indonesia's 271 million people live in urban areas.

Of the various types of disasters, floods are in the top position. Then, landslides, which come in every rainy season, and drought or water crises during the dry season. In other words, it is related to the dynamics of water and the atmosphere or hydrometeorology.

Undeniably, that is what has happened. It would be reckless to always attribute floods and droughts to the effects of climate change; such as the floods and rob floods in Semarang, Central Java; the floods in East Aceh, Aceh; the floods in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan; drought in a number of areas in East Nusa Tenggara; or the fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Regional administration policies related to spatial and regional planning, as well as the carrying capacity of the environment, are very crucial.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Aerial photo of tents for earthquake victims in Mangunkerta Village, Cugenang District, Cianjur Regency, West Java, Thursday (24/11/2022).

Globally, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs(UN DESA) in 2018 stated that every 3 out of 5 megacities with a population of 500,000 in the world are at high risk of being affected by natural disasters. Overall, megacities became home to 1.4 billion people spread across 679 megacities out of 1,146 megacities at that time.

The various disasters are floods, landslides, drought, tropical cyclones, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The last two disasters continue to be present in the country, such as the Cianjur earthquake in West Java, which until now has not finished the rehabilitation and reconstruction process. Communities around Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra face risks of eruptions for decades.

Also read:

> Violating Spatial Planning, Disaster Strikes Again

> Rivers in Indonesia Increasingly Dangerous

It is for these concerns that this daily presents a thematic coverage of cities caught by disaster, on Monday (15/5). We bring up the latest data and facts, and at the same time remind our readers that urban challenges are not only a matter of potential crime, but are also potential risks in the form of disasters.

As the political year approaches the country, we remind anyone who is running for the regional head office not to forget ideas and action plans, namely disaster mitigation and adaptation. Having a plan is not enough. It must be implemented in real policies and monitored thoroughly.

This article was translated by Kurnia Siswo.