Disastrous disaster management

Disastrous disaster management

It has become a matter of routine -- which means something
that does not attract serious attention -- for Indonesia to face
major disasters, both natural and man-made ones, as if the number
of fatalities or material loses incurred during the devastation
are only a matter of statistics. In the case of the Blitar floods
last week, the government again repeated the predictable
conclusion it comes to every time there are floods; that "illegal
loggers" were responsible for the catastrophe that has affected
thousands of villagers in East Java.

The government for years, however, has never worked hard to
curb the cause of this erosion; the illegal logging. Most of the
floods are the consequence of human greed -- the acted-on desire
to exploit the country's natural resources for private gain. It
is true that we often cannot do much to stop natural disasters
like volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. But we can prevent
fatalities or minimize the death toll in such accidents by
relying on technological early warning systems.

The media regularly reports floods and landslides and the
spread of infectious diseases during the rainy season, which
usually lasts about four months until February. For the media and
the public, the death toll from such incidents often receives
this kind of reaction: "The dead are only 15 -- last year the
number was three times higher."

In the dry season, meanwhile, people discuss the impact of
severe droughts. Forest fires in Sumatra during the dry season
not only destroy and pollute natural resources in this country,
they also threaten the air quality of our neighbors -- Singapore
and Malaysia. However, people who live in Java are less likely to
care about the reoccurring destruction because they live far from
the hot-spots.

These fire spots were often formerly important water catchment
areas. In the least they contribute to global warming, which is
changing weather patterns in the region. The consequence: Farmers
ask for government help because they cannot harvest their crops
after a drought. But who really cares about the farmers'
fortunes? Water shortages are widespread during the dry season,
but this is often regarded merely as a natural occurrence.

The same thing happens with natural disasters or traffic
accidents that claim people's lives. Even the government's
solution, which is often quite simple -- pay the medical bills
for the victims -- often ends up as an empty promise.

In disasters, the government or the parties responsible for
the fatalities think that financial compensation is more than
enough to make up for the suffering of the victims and their
bereaved families. Look at the government's way of dealing with
the earthquake victims in East Nusa Tenggara and Nabire in Papua.
It took almost a week, but ministers did visit the areas and
promised to rebuild them, giving the affected residents instant
noodles and other foodstuffs. Only local people will know if the
ministers' promises are followed up by more concrete actions.

The government has set up the Natural Disaster Coordinating
Agency that operates directly under the President's control.
Employees at the agency however complain they are rarely involved
in handling disasters. Recent cases have shown that the
government does not have a comprehensive network to deal with
floods.

During the flooding in Blora last week, the Minister of
Forestry, MS Kaban, disclosed that officially the government had
given out quotas allowing 5.7 million hectares of forest to be
cut down each year.

Meanwhile, estimates show that 72 million cubic meters of
timber are illegally produced every year, which costs the
government Rp 80 billion (US$ 8.5 million) a day. Rampant illegal
logging occurs on a massive scale and there are no serious
efforts being made to stop it because the illicit business
benefits many people, including top government officials,
politicians and businesspeople.

According to the World Bank, deforestation is mainly caused by
the large-scale logging of forests and conversion to palm oil
plantations along with widespread small-holder agricultural
conversion.

If the nation continues to carelessly exploit its natural
resources it will only be a matter of time -- and not a long time
-- for us to see a desert emerge in our country -- the kind of
deserts that as yet only naturally exist in continents like
Australia or Africa.

Despite this gloomy outlook, however, it is essential for
people to keep pushing the government to stop this destruction
before it is too late. Its severe consequences are easily
apparent -- and time is running out for us to fix things.

Preserving the country's valuable and unique natural resources
is the responsibility of everyone.