DPRD Wants Certainty of Disaster Hazard Zones

KOMPAS/BENEDIKTUS KRISNA YOGATAMA

Children play soccer at a tsunami evacuation shelter on Saturday (21/12/2019)in Labuan district, Pandeglang regency, Banten. The shelter provides leisure space when it is not being used in response to a disaster.

PALU, KOMPAS — The Palu Legislative Council (DPRD) in Palu, Central Sulawesi, will meet with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), disaster experts, and related parties to hear their views on the disaster hazard zone (ZRB) map in Palu and surrounding areas as input for a discussion on revising the regional spatial plan (RTRW).

Palu DPRD councilor Mutmainah Korona said the BMKG, disaster experts, and related parties were being invited to the meeting so the Palu DPRD would have the right information for developing a detailed and accurate disaster management plan. "We will not rush the discussion on revising the RTRW and the detailed spatial plan (RDTR)," he said in Palu on Tuesday (1/28/2020).

The ZRB map for Palu and surrounding areas (greater Palu area) in Central Sulawesi prioritized social aspects, so it excluded the BMKG’s earthquake risk assessment. There were concerns over the difficulties in developing Palu, while the local people were worried that more areas in the province were prone to disaster.

According to Kompas’ observation, two separate approaches were proposed for mapping the ZRBs of the greater Palu area. The first approach does not include the BMKG’s earthquake risk assessment, while the second includes the BMKG risk assessment.

Discussion

Spatial planning director general Abdul Kamarzuki at the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry / National Land Agency (BPN), said that a technical discussion on the ZRB map was held in October-December 2018. The drafting team, excepting the BMKG, had decided on the first ZRB mapping approach from the beginning. The decision was based on considering the social aspects.

KOMPAS/BENEDIKTUS KRISNA YOGATAMA

A partially collapsed house stands abandoned on Wednesday (8/1/2020) in Balaroa subdistrict of West Palu district, Palu, Central Sulawesi, which was severely damaged in the earthquake and soil liquefaction of 28 Sept. 2018. Photo was taken on Wednesday (8/1/2020).

"The social aspects should be part of the determination. We cannot just ignore it. [The second alternative] actually requires eventual relocation. We cannot develop the area. It\'\'s the same as removing the infrastructure facilities so that the people will gradually move out of the area," Abdul said.

According to the BMKG’s note on the map, zone 1 on the ZRB map should be zone 3, which indicates a higher risk of disaster. For this reason, the BMKG declined to sign off the map, only initialing it with an added note. The ZRBs range from zones 1-4, with zone 4 (red zone) indicating the highest risk of disaster.

The draft map was also based on the Geological Agency’s research into the risk of soil liquefaction.

Former vice president Jusuf Kalla said that the decision to choose the first ZRB map was made together. The first option was deemed appropriate because it offered the people a sense of security from the risk of soil liquefaction. The draft map was also based on the Geological Agency’s research into the risk of soil liquefaction.

According to Kalla, all parts of Indonesia except Kalimantan were vulnerable to earthquakes. "We cannot say that it is safe from an earthquake, but we can map the areas that are safe from soil liquefaction," he said.

Nevertheless, the meeting still accommodated the BMKG’s input, which could be used as a reference in revising the RTRW. One of its suggestions is to establish different building standards based on the ZRB classification.

KOMPAS/BENEDIKTUS KRISNA YOGATAMA

A motorcyclist rides past a tsunami hazard zone traffic sign on Jl. Raya Tanjung Lesung in Pandeglang regency, Banten, Sunday (22/12/2019).

BMKG geophysics deputy Muhamad Sadly proposed a brief interruption during the meeting. He said he was not satisfied with the decision to choose the ZRB mapping option that excluded the BMKG assessment. "I do not want to sign [the map] because of a message from the boss. It is the BMKG\'\'s moral responsibility. If we agree and something happens later, we will be blamed," said Sadly.

Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono explained that differing opinions within a team was common.

Regional spatial planning and development director Reny Windyawat of the Agrarian Spatial Planning Ministry/BPN said that concerns were raised during the technical meeting over the difficulties in developing Palu if the map included the BMKG’s earthquake risk assessment, since this would mean that more areas would be classified as a restricted zone. "Not to mention, people would protest because they cannot build [their houses]," said Reny.

Central Sulawesi Spatial Planning head Syaifullah Djafar, who also heads the Bina Marga Agency, said that the choice of the ZRB map would significantly impact the direction of development in Central Sulawesi, especially Palu.

KOMPAS/BENEDIKTUS KRISNA YOGATAMA

The ruins of Jembatan Kuning (yellow bridge) still stand on Sunday (5/1/2020) in Palu, Central Sulawesi, more than a year after it was destroyed by an earthquake on 28 Sept. 2018.

Eko Yulianto, the head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences’ Geotechnology Research Center, said that the BMKG referred to the worst-case scenario in preparing the ZRB map. As a result, the majority of areas on the map were restricted zones. The map thus resulted in low risk of disasters, but high economic costs. (ILO/BKY/KE L/VDL/ZAK /AIN)