'Central Java needs to take preventative action'<\/p>\n
Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto, Central Java<\/p>\n
The flash flooding and landslides in the southern part of Central
\nJava are an annual phenomenon that bring suffering and material
\nlosses to local people. However local authorities have not taken
\npreventive measures to handle the disasters and to minimize their
\nnegative impact.<\/p>\n
The flooding that has hit the region over the last nine days
\nhas inundated hundreds of villages, damaged thousands of houses
\nand school buildings, dozens of bridges and the railway track
\nconnecting the province and West Java. Thousands of hectares of
\nrice fields in the regencies of Kebumen, Cilacap and Banyumas
\nhave also been ruined.<\/p>\n
Thousands of local people taking refugee in temporary shelters
\nin drier areas in the region are facing possible starvation and
\nare suffering from ailments such as diarrhea and skin diseases,
\nwhile thousands of students are missing classes because school
\nbuildings are still flooded or flood-damaged.<\/p>\n
For the public and social workers, the flooding has raised a
\nhuge question mark. Is the flooding to be accepted as a natural
\ndisaster or are concerted efforts required from various sectors
\nto cope with key problems behind the annual phenomenon?<\/p>\n
Bishop Mgr. Julianus Sunarko, of Purwokerto Diocese, expressed
\nhis deep concern over the natural disaster that affected the
\nregion annually, saying hard work and long-term efforts were
\nneeded to seek a comprehensive solution to the problem.<\/p>\n
\"The handling of the annual disaster in the region is still
\nmore 'curative' than preventive and focuses on the evacuation of
\nvictims. So, far, no actions have been taken to identify the
\nfactors that trigger the disaster and to seek a comprehensive
\napproach to prevent the disaster,\" he said in an interview with
\nThe Jakarta Post at his residence in Purwokerto recently.<\/p>\n
According to the bishop, the disasters are a natural phenomena
\nthat should not be considered as misfortune but must be prevented
\nand fought against.<\/p>\n
Sunarko said an in-depth study and concrete measures involving
\nlocal authorities and the private sector were needed to design a
\nlong-term program to minimize the scale of the disaster and its
\nnegative impact on the local community.<\/p>\n
He said the social and economic committee of his diocese had
\ntaken the initiative to work together with Suara Hati Foundation,
\nwith financial assistance from the United States, to conduct
\nresearch on natural disasters in the region.<\/p>\n
The research that will take between three years and five years
\nis jointly conducted by representatives from Nadhlatul Ulama, the
\nCatholic Church, Kebatinan (practitioners of Javanese mysticism)
\nand Confucianists.<\/p>\n
Sunarko said that besides having established a wide network to
\nhandle disasters in the region, the diocese's social and economic
\ncommittee had also conducted studies with the local authorities
\nto seek a comprehensive solution to main factors triggering the
\nannual disaster.<\/p>\n
According to him, local authorities should make a sound
\nenvironmental policy to avoid the annual flooding and landslides.<\/p>\n
\"Local authorities should regularly dredge and deepen major
\nrivers and build strong dikes along the rivers to prevent water
\noverflowing during the rainy season.<\/p>\n
\"Local people should be encouraged to build houses that are
\nelevated off the ground to prevent them from being inundated when
\na flash flood hits their villages,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The annual phenomenon of floods and landslides must be also
\nseen from an ecological perspective. Rampant slashing of forests
\nin mountainous areas in the region are a major cause of floods
\nand landslides. Therefore, local authorities must take tight
\nmeasures against the felling of trees in forested areas,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said that according to the foundation's survey, illegal
\nlogging and burning of forest areas during the dry season had
\nbeen rampant in the region over the last two years.<\/p>\n
Data at the Banyumas local forestry ministry office shows the
\ndeforestation in Sidaredja and Kawunganten Subdistricts, which
\nhave been worst hit by the flood, reached 3,000 hectares over the
\nlast two years, causing Rp 8 billion in material losses to the
\nlocal administration.<\/p>\n
Djoko Suhartono, a member of staff at the local forestry
\noffice, said all trees aged over 15 years in the subdistricts had
\nbeen plundered over the last two years.<\/p>\n
\"Local authorities must take strict actions against rampant
\nillegal logging because the flash floods have a lot to do with
\nthe absence of catchment areas in the mountainous areas,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
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