Flood, Alarm from Nature

Floods in Kalimantan and Sumatra provide valuable lessons. Floods are caused by human activities that damage the environment.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Banjir, Alarm dari Alam

KOMPAS/DIONISIUS REYNALDO TRIWIBOWO

Officials assist residents who wish to cross in Kalahien Village, South Hamlet District, South Barito Regency, Central Kalimantan, on Wednesday (24/1/2024). The Trans-Kalimantan road was impassable for five days due to floods with a depth of at least 1.5 meters.

Kompas.id and the daily Kompas in the last few days reported two examples of floods which were also contributed by human activity. On Kalimantan Island, flooding hampered traffic on the Trans-Kalimantan route in Central Kalimantan (Central Kalimantan). Based on data from the Central Kalimantan Disaster Management and Fire Department, floods submerged five of the 14 districts/cities as of Thursday (25/1/2024). The five areas that were flooded were South Barito, North Barito, Murung Raya, Kapuas and West Kotawaringin.

Director of Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia Kalteng, Bayu Herinata, has explained that floods occur at the same time every year, in similar locations and regions. Floods repeatedly happen in areas where the environment is damaged and degraded. However, there have been no serious efforts made towards mitigation yet. Bayu cites Barito Utara and Murung Raya, two districts in the Barito River Watershed. The Barito River spans 909 kilometers and divides Kalteng and Kalsel. In the Barito watershed, land damage occurs due to deforestation. An area of 121,555 hectares has been transformed into plantations, mines, and industrial forests.

KOMPAS/DIONISIUS REYNALDO TRIWIBOWO

Residents of Lembeng Village, South Hamlet District, South Barito Regency, Central Kalimantan, on Thursday (25/1/2024), helped a pickup truck passing through a flood spot on the Trans-Kalimantan route. Several trucks and cars that forced their way through were pushed due to engine failure when they were submerged in water.

Also read: The Suffering of Those Stuck by Floods in the Middle of the Trans-Kalimantan Forest

In the Island of Sumatra, rain occurred in Pagaralam and Lahat, South Sumatra (Sumsel), on Saturday (27/1/2024) morning. The high intensity and long duration of rain caused several tributaries and Sungai Lematang to overflow with a high water discharge. This resulted in 21 houses being flooded in the North Pagaralam District. Some infrastructure was also damaged, including three lightly damaged bridges and one heavily damaged bridge in Pajar Bulan, as well as a section of road collapse in Lahat District.

Not only in the upstream areas of South Sumatra, floods have also started to enter the downstream areas of Palembang. Since Saturday morning, several residential areas around the Musi River in Palembang have been inundated due to the accumulation of high rainfall and high tidal waves. Head of Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency in Palembang, Akhmad Bastari, said that the main challenge in dealing with floods in Palembang is the bad habit of throwing garbage carelessly, especially into the river. In addition, many water channels are covered by improper buildings.

KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS

Authorities and residents cleaned up the homes of flood victims in Konaweha Village, Samaturu, Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi on Sunday, January 21, 2024. The flood in Kolaka swept away three houses and inundated thousands of others.

Also read: Two Houses Washed Away and Hundreds of Others Submerged in Floods in South Sumatra

From these two examples of floods, it is clear that humans contribute to environmental damage both upstream and downstream of the river. In the flood in Kalimantan, humans contributed to the destruction of forest cover upstream, while in the flood in Sumatra, humans contributed to the destruction of the downstream area of the river.

Valuable lessons have been learned, floods become an alarm for us to always respect nature, so that when the rainy season comes, the greater impacts can be minimized.