Holistic Approach for Disaster Mitigation

KOMPAS/NINA SUSILO

President Joko Widodo (center) plants vetiver on Monday (3/2/2020) at a farm in Pasirmadang village, Sukajaya district, Bogor regency, West Java, joined by West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil (left), Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya (second left) and Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono (second right). The roots of the vetiver plant can reach 3-4 meters long, which help to prevent the loss of topsoil.

The government has used a holistic approach to mitigate the effects of hydrological disasters. This method is expected to be more effective in restoring the livelihoods of people and the environment.

While visiting the location of a landslide in Harkatjaya village, Sukajaya district, Bogor regency, on Monday afternoon, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo emphasized the need for using a comprehensive approach to prevent floods and landslides. This approach is also used to restore the livelihoods of people and to prevent the disaster from occurring again.

To prevent landslides, the approach is no longer focused only on the control of the physical strength of buildings. It should be followed by planting trees, which have an ecological function. Trees with deep roots and dense canopies are known to have the ability to bind the soil so that rainwater does not easily erode it.

During the last two months, hydrological disasters in the form of floods and landslides have taken place in a number of areas in Indonesia. The floods and landslides claimed many lives, damaging public facilities and disrupting community activities. Thousands of families lost their homes in floods and landslides. Direct losses were estimated to reach hundreds of billions of rupiah, while indirect losses could be even higher because people cannot work and children cannot go to school.

Global warming, according to a number of experts, has caused climate change. An increase in the temperature of the Earth\'s surface has caused an increase in the sea surface temperature, which results in the change of rainfall patterns and can even trigger storms.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

A batch of macadamia seedlings are ready for distribution at a nursery on Tuesday (28/1/2020) in Bogor, West Java. The Citarum-Ciliwung Protected Forest Management Agency (BPDASHL) has readied the seedlings of several productive species, including durian, vetiver, mahogany, African wood and dogfruit, for regreening and retaining the soil in landslide hazard areas in Sukajaya, Bogor.

In addition to climate factors, in a number of regions in the country, especially Java, the carrying capacity of the environment has declined. More than half of the population lives on Java, putting pressure on land for industry and settlements. Many residents even live on land that is not suitable for residential and farming areas or plantations.

Resolving natural disasters requires a comprehensive solution. There must be a spatial and regional plan, including a map of disaster-prone areas, which must be obeyed by all government agencies.

We have a map of disaster-prone areas, but not all parties follow them. A Kompas daily report (27/ 1/2020) indicated that the Palu disaster map ignored the results of a survey about vulnerability to an earthquake and soil liquefaction compiled by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, even though Palu experienced such natural disasters two years ago.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Children stand among displaced material at the dried foot of a landslide on Sunday (26/1/2020) in Kiara Pandak, Sukajaya district, Bogor. Access to the area was cut off for several days following a landslide on Wednesday (1/1/2020), which has prompted some residents to evacuate the area for fear of further landslides.

To reduce pressure on the environment on Java, the economy of regions outside Java must grow. The minimum forested area must be maintained because forests have a hydrological function to hold surface water, store rain water and maintain air humidity.

The step to plant degraded land with plants with an ecological function, which can also provide a sustainable livelihood for the community, should be carried out elsewhere. We hope President Jokowi can realize this environmental work consistently.