Govt sets up team to deal with natural disasters

JAKARTA (JP): The Office of the State Minister of Research and Technology has set up a team to deal with natural disasters in a bid to cope with the numerous catastrophes that have hit the country recently.

"All these years postcatastrophe efforts have focused mainly on social relief, never taking the science and technology approach," Bambang Setiadi, the deputy of technology and the development of natural resources at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, said on Wednesday.

The team, officially established on Jan. 11, will work on several fronts, including helping prepare decision-makers in areas that are prone to disasters and pushing for community participation in recognizing signs of possible disasters.

The team also will employ forensic studies to investigate possible cases of sabotage and disasters arising as a result of unnatural causes.

Manned by 50 scientists and experts from related institutions and universities, the team will monitor the regions for possible disasters and work to prepare an early warning system.

"A team of experts is also working on a system to seed clouds to induce rain to fall, but not to such a degree that it can lead to floods and landslides," Bambang told the media.

The team said it expected heavy rains in Jatiwangi and Bogor in West Java, Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, Gorontalo in North Sulawesi and in Central Sulawesi.

Special calculations on the amount of rain that may cause floods or landslides and an effective weather prediction system are also needed, he said.

"We will distribute maps on vulnerable areas to regional leaders so they can formulate a good spatial plan and be aware of the consequences," Bambang said.

He cited the Gambir railway station in Jakarta, which is built of solid concrete, as an example of poor planning. "No space for water absorption. This could lead to disaster."

In coordination with the Jakarta administration, the team also has set up a crisis center with accurate digital maps of the city's infrastructure on a scale of 1:1,000 (one centimeter represents 1,000 meters).

People can go to http://www.beritajakarta.com for further information about areas prone to floods and landslides in the city, as well as for other information about developments in Greater Jakarta.

People must be alert if there are signs of floods or landslides, such as constant rain for five hours or more and prolonged downpours which last for days, the program manager of the disaster mitigation project, Heru Sri Naryanto, said.

Quake

Meanwhile, an earthquake jolted Bengkulu at around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, but there were no reports of fatalities or damage.

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said the quake, measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale, was centered in the ocean. The tremor was felt across Sumatra and Jakarta.

A powerful quake struck Bengkulu last June, leaving 120 dead.

In a related development, a geologist predicted that landslides in Sukabumi, West Java, might continue until March, when the dry season begins. He said 17 districts were located in areas at risk of landslides.

"We urge people not to engage in any activities if there has been prolonged rain or if there are signs of cracks in the ground. The area most at risk is Bantar Kalong village in Warung Kiara district," Sutikno, the chief of the geology section at the directorate general of environmental geology, said on Wednesday.

He also said it was very difficult to evacuate people because most of the hills in the area were already "bald, without trees" and therefore vulnerable to landslides. (edt/25)