Vital Infrastructure Still Vulnerable to Disasters

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

An officers uses binoculars to monitor the arrival of aircraft that will land at Yogyakarta International Airport in Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, from the air traffic control tower managed by AirNav Indonesia on Sept. 24 (24/9/2019).

Some infrastructure in coastal areas are vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and soil liquefaction. Disaster mitigation strategies must be intensified in development planning.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The development of sea and air transportation infrastructure is the key to connectivity across the Indonesian archipelago. However, some infrastructure developments are located in coastal areas that have a high risk of earthquakes, tsunamis and soil liquefaction hazards, and require disaster reduction strategies.

“Indonesia has many kinds of vital infrastructure in coastal areas, primarily seaports and airports. Considering the high investments in these two sectors, we need to calculate their disaster risk,” Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said on Wednesday (20/11/2019), during the “Strengthening Tsunami Warning Connections to Vital Infrastructure” workshop at the Meteorological, Climatologic and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) in Jakarta.

Experts from 13 countries attended the workshop, which was intiated by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO).

Apart from ensuring the safety of local residents, disaster mitigation strategies would also reduce incurring economic loss from damage to infrastructure and transportation systems.

“I am pleased that the BMKG has taken the initiative to strengthen the ties between [its disaster] warning center and critical infrastructure,” said Budi.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Construction work of the Yogyakarta International Airport, Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, as seen on April 24. (24/4/2019)

Enhancing mitigation

BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati, meanwhile, pointed to Indonesia’s 59,531-kilometer coastline, along which 249 cities were located in tsunami hazard zones. A total of 3.7 million people live in the vulnerable zones.

“Despite the high risk, this doesn’t mean we cannot build infrastructure [there]. But we should enhance risk mitigation [measures],” she said.

A study by Barbara Neumann published in the PLOS One (2015) journal also included Indonesia among the five countries in Asia that had the largest number of people living in coastal zones with a high risk of coastal hazards, including flooding, tsunamis and rising sea levels due to climate change.

Indonesia faced a higher risk of tsunamis because of the rising trend in coastal population growth. Furthermore, the Joko Widodo government had prioritized infrastructure development in coastal areas over the last five years to support its “Sea Toll” [marine highway] program and other coastal development goals.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

A view of Tanjung Aan Beach, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on June 17. (17/6/2019)

“We’ve just finished [building] an airport located in a tsunami hazard zone in southern Java, that is, Yogyakarta International Airport in Kulon Progo,” said Dwikorita.

A study on disaster hazard risk had been carried for the airport development and mitigation strategies implemented. “Its terminal, runway and other facilities were designed to withstand an 8.8-magnitude earthquake and a 10-meter-high tsunami,” she said.

A BMKG tsunami warning receiver had also been installed at the airport. The device emits an early warning alert within 4 minutes of receiving transmission on a potential tsunami earthquake.

Evaluation needed

Nonetheless, tsunami expert Widjo Kongko from the Technological Studies and Applications Agency said that the disaster mitigation measures should be reevaluated in view of the high risk potential. Based on his model, an earthquake that occurred in the megathrust zone off the southern coast of Java could cause a tsunami around 10-15 meters high, which would arrive at Yogyakarta International Airport within an estimated 30-35 minutes after the quake.

Disaster mitigation efforts through planting vegetation and building coastal embankments could mitigate the height of the tsunami, but the tsunami could still be 5 meters high when it hit the runway. “Combining a variety of other mitigation measures is needed to reduce risk,” Widjo said.

Aside from earthquake and tsunami risks, the airport is also located in a hazard zone prone to flooding and soil liquefaction. The Yogyakarta Liquefaction Hazard Zone Map, which was published this year by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s Geological Agency, has designated the Kulon Progo area as a liquefaction hazard zone.

“To our knowledge, no mitigation measures have been implemented for [soil] liquefaction. We warned against building the Yogya airport on the coastline long before its development,” said Widjo.

In addition to Yogyakarta airport, Kompas’ records show that 16 other airports in Indonesia are located in tsunami hazard zones.

The seaports have been designed to withstand minor tsunamis, but they should be strengthened [to withstand] major tsunamis.

“Most of Indonesia’s ports are located in areas with earthquake and tsunami hazards. The seaports have been designed to withstand minor tsunamis, but they should be strengthened [to withstand] major tsunamis,” said tsunami specialist Semedi Husrin from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry.

The three Exclusive Economic Zones (KEK) located in hazard zones that were exposed to disasters in 2018 should be evaluated: the Palu KEK in Sulawesi, which is to be an integrated logistics and mining hub, the Tanjung Lesung KEK in Banten and the Mandalika Tourism KEK in West Nusa Tenggara. Aside from these, the Mentawai KEK is also located in in a tsunami hazard zone.

Akiko Yamanaka, the president of the International Tsunami Disaster Prevention Society, said that based on Japan’s experience in the 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami, the public tended to forget deadly tsunamis that had occurred in the past.

“In Japan, people are inclined to ignore tsunami early warnings. The anti-tsunami embankments installed along the coastline make the residents feel secure,” said Akiko.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Doni Monardo said that limited budgets meant that not all residents in hazard zones had access to tsunami early warning technology. It was therefore necessary to provide disaster education and mitigation training at household and village levels to encourage independent evacuation. (AIK)