KLH Highlights Need for Spatial Planning Improvements in Sumatra's Flood-Hit Regions

The Ministry of Environment (KLH) has stated that an evaluation of flood-affected areas in Sumatra highlights the need for improvements to spatial planning, including in zones that serve as ecological buffers.

Deputy for Environmental and Natural Resource Management at KLH/BPLH, Sigit Reliantoro, explained during a discussion in Jakarta on Tuesday that an assessment of Regional Spatial Plans (RTRW) and Strategic Environmental Studies (KLHS) following hydrometeorological disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra revealed a declining environmental carrying capacity.

“In terms of carrying capacity, the water resource aspect is very low, as is the food carrying capacity for marine resources. The coastal areas of Aceh and North Sumatra appear to have also come under very strong pressure, resulting in damage that undermines their support for food security,” Sigit clarified.

He explained that by comparing maps of protected areas, forests, and related ecosystem data, it was found that 59.23 percent of Aceh’s territory indicated a mismatch between carrying capacity and assimilative capacity. The figures for North Sumatra and West Sumatra were 32.14 percent and 41.67 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, areas where development pressure needs to be minimised cover 2.02 million hectares in Aceh, 4.55 million hectares in North Sumatra, and 766,990 hectares in West Sumatra.

The recommendations compiled by KLH/BPLH have been detailed down to the district/city level and submitted to the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR)/National Land Agency (BPN).

Sigit noted that a similar process is not only underway for the former flood zones in Sumatra but is also being conducted for West Java and Bali.

“Why West Java? Because of the recent hydrometeorological disasters stretching from Bogor, the Jakarta floods, the Sukabumi floods, to Burangrang where several villages were recently hit by landslides,” he stated.

For Bali, the evaluation is being carried out considering that the region has experienced several instances of flooding following extreme weather phenomena.