Building Resilient Infrastructure

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

The Depok-Antasari (Desari) toll road section which has been completed in the East Cilandak area, South Jakarta, Tuesday (21/8/2018).

Infrastructure development should be oriented towards disaster resilience to reduce risks that could lead to loss of life, property and other consequences.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Disaster prevention and mitigation must be prioritized in disaster management. This includes carrying out various infrastructure development programs as well as investments.

“Infrastructure programs must be oriented towards disaster resilience. Business licensing must consider any disaster risks. Infrastructure development should mitigate disasters, not aggravate them. We often build infrastructure, but forget this,” said President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in his opening remarks at a virtual coordination meeting with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday (23/2/2022).

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According to the President, disaster management is crucial because Indonesia is among the 35 countries in the world that are most at risk of disasters. Natural disasters occur almost every day, resulting in casualties or material losses.

President Jokowi also emphasized the priority of disaster prevention. Natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes could not be prevented. However, there were other natural disasters that could be prevented, such as flooding, by reforestation and planting vegetation.

Landslides could also be prevented by intensifying efforts to plant vetiver, environmental conservation, building dams and structuring watersheds, among other means.

Kompas/Raditya Helabumi

President Joko Widodo

Several parties expressed the hope that the President’s statement would reach all corners of society.

“This is an important statement but it needs to be followed by concrete action,” said Widjo Kongko, a tsunami researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).

Indonesia Tsunami Experts Association (IATsI) chairman Gegar Prasetya echoed his sentiment. “The President’s statement needs to be supported. However, its implementation needs to be monitored because it may be different in the field,” he said.

Gegar used as an example the development of Yogyakarta International Airport, which was build in an earthquake- and tsunami-hazard zone. According to Gegar, experts had already warned about the vulnerability of the southern coast of Java Island.

However, he pointed out that after the 2018 Palu earthquake and tsunami, the government still prioritized infrastructure development.

Gegar also expressed appreciation for the President mentioning the importance of mangroves and other vegetation to protect the country’s coasts from tsunamis and tropical cyclones. However, he pointed out that after the 2018 Palu earthquake and tsunami, the government still prioritized infrastructure development.

“Dikes, in the form of loose stones along the beach, can be as lethal as bullets in the event of a tsunami. This is not recommended for tsunami-prone areas,” he said.

Gegar added that his team once recommended coastal spatial planning and mangrove planting at Palu Bay after the tsunami. To protect against abrasion and land subsidence after earthquakes, spatial planning could be used to push buildings back, elevate the land and plant mangroves, as President Jokowi had advised.

Science-based data

To ensure that disaster risk reduction was implemented in accordance with President Jokowi’s directive, Gegar said, work on the ground must be based on scientific data. “Project implementation must be science-based and involve the relevant experts,” he said.

HARIS FIRDAUS

A number of workers completed the construction of a terminal room on the third floor of Yogyakarta International Airport in Kulon Progo Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY), Sunday (25/8/2019).

Widjo added that scientists should be involved from the planning and design stages to the actual implementation. “Thus far, experts have only been involved during the planning stage and are left out during the design and the implementation processes,” he said.

Furthermore, he said, disaster risk reduction efforts must also involve the public in order to take into account local wisdoms, prevent disputes and ensure sustainable development. “Their involvement should be proper too, not just for procedural formalities in which experts or the public are used merely to put a ‘stamp’ on the projects,” he said.

Additionally, community-based evacuation routes and shelters had also been built.

BNPB head Suharyanto said that disaster prevention and mitigation efforts had been realized through a series of programs. This included disaster risk studies and education as well as improving disaster literacy, while also preparing an early warning system to support emergencies and community evacuations. Additionally, community-based evacuation routes and shelters had also been built.

However, Suharyanto said, there would be more challenges ahead as the number of natural disasters continued to increase.

“In 2021, there were 5,402 natural disasters that left 728 dead and severely damaged more than 150,000 houses and more than 4,400 public facilities. Other than that, we are also still in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

(This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia)