Massive floods to hit North Sumatra, experts warn<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
Weather and environmental experts and officials have warned
\npeople in North Sumatra to be ready for possible flooding and
\nlandslides across the province this month.<\/p>\n
Head of the provincial forestry office, Prie Supriadi, said on
\nTuesday that because of deforestation, floods and landslides
\nwould be unavoidable if the province experienced heavy rains.<\/p>\n
\"Almost all of the towns and cities in North Sumatra are
\nvulnerable to erosion and floods because our forests can no
\nlonger absorb the rain,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Prie called on all residents in the province, particularly
\nthose living in the areas most prone to flooding and landslides,
\nto increase their level of alertness during the rainy season,
\nwhich is expected to peak in February.<\/p>\n
Firman, head of the Medan-based Meteorology and Geophysics
\nAgency, echoed the possibility of massive flooding in North
\nSumatra this month, given that rainfall levels are above normal.<\/p>\n
Rainfall levels in several areas in the province are above the
\nnormal average of between 100 millimeters and 400 millimeters,
\nwhile flooding is a danger with rainfall levels of just 50
\nmillimeters, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Flooding is a risk in western coastal areas, where the
\nintensity of rainfall is very high, reaching between 200 and 400
\nmillimeters. In the eastern parts of the country, rainfalls
\nlevels are only between 100 millimeters and 200 millimeters,\"
\nFirman said.<\/p>\n
He also called on local residents to prepare to evacuate their
\nhomes in the eventuality of flooding.<\/p>\n
Prie pointed to the acute destruction of forests in North
\nSumatra to support his prediction of widespread flooding in the
\nnear future.<\/p>\n
The province's deforestation has reached alarming levels, with
\nthe damage extending to more than one million of North Sumatra's
\n3.6 million hectares of forests, he said.<\/p>\n
Herwin Nasution, the executive director of the North Sumatra
\nbranch of Walhi, an environmental group, said only about one
\nmillion hectares of forest in North Sumatra was still healthy,
\nwhile the rest had been severely damaged or destroyed by illegal
\nlogging.<\/p>\n
He said illegal logging, allegedly involving local officials,
\nwas continuing unchecked in the province, including the districts
\nof Mandailing Natal, South Tapanuli, Langkat, Karo and Dairi.<\/p>\n
Many of the looted logs are smuggled to Malaysia through
\nTanjung Balai harbor, Herwin said, adding that more than 800 tons
\nof illegal logs are shipped out of North Sumatra every day aboard
\nat least two vessels.<\/p>\n
\"Over the next three years, floods could sink North Sumatra if
\nour security authorities do not take immediate action to halt the
\nillegal logging,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Deforestation has been blamed for flooding and landslides in
\nseveral parts of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
At least 21 people were killed on Jan. 28 when a landslide
\nburied houses in Garut regency, West Java. Three days later, 10
\nmore people died in a landslides that swept through the nearby
\ntown of Kuningan.<\/p>\n
In December, at least 26 people were killed when mud and rocks
\nburied the Pacet hot springs in Mojokerto regency, East Java.<\/p>\n
Experts have said East Java, West Java and Sumatra are the
\nprovinces most vulnerable to floods and landslides due to rampant
\ndeforestation and unstable soil.<\/p>",
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