Govt to map out disaster-prone areas

Govt to map out disaster-prone areas

Leony Aurora , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) and the National
Coordination Agency for Surveying and Mapping (Bakosurtanal) are
working together to develop maps of potential disaster areas.

The two agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding here on
Thursday to mark their cooperation, which includes the
development of geodynamic maps and tide models.

The agencies have already started working on a map of
potential disaster areas for Java, and expect to finish it in
June.

After these maps are completed for all of Indonesia, they plan
to follow them up with maps providing historical information and
more data showing new disaster spots. Most of this data is
cyclic and could show disaster trends, Bakosurtanal head Rudolf
Matindas said after the signing ceremony.

"These maps should be used by the local governments at regency
level to protect citizens," he said.

The Indonesian archipelago is located in an area dubbed the
"Ring of Fire" for its high rate of volcanic and tectonic
activity. Landslides and floods are also common, apparent in the
annual flooding of Jakarta. Many floods are caused by worsening
environmental damage, like deforestation.

"People living in an area are usually aware of its disaster
potential. However, they don't use this knowledge, preferring to
rely on fate," Matindas said.

In an areas prone to earthquakes, buildings with certain
standards should be built, he said.

At least 37 people were killed in an earthquake in Nabire,
Papua, in February. Most were buried under houses not designed to
withstand earth movements.

"These maps should be widely distributed and be the yardsticks
for development and environmental planning," Matindas said.

BMG head Gunawan Ibrahim said the maps would also be helpful
to laymen as they were easy to read and showed information
clearly. These maps would be used to support the current early-
warning system, he said.

Gunawan denied allegations the government often ignored early
warnings of natural disasters issued by his agency.

"Perhaps some think the information (BMG gives) is not urgent
enough to be disseminated," he said.