Image source, Antara Foto
Image caption: Joint SAR Team evacuates residents affected by flooding in Suli District, Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, Friday (3/5/2024).
4 Mei 2024
At least 15 people died and thousands of others were evacuated due to floods and landslides that hit a number of districts in South Sulawesi, on Friday (03/05). Disaster experts assess that regional and central governments have not addressed risk mitigation so that casualties due to natural disasters can be avoided.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that 14 people died in Luwu Regency due to being buried by landslides and being swept away by floods. Another person died in Sidenreng Rappang Regency or commonly called Sidrap.
Apart from Luwu and Sidrap Regencies, flood disasters have hit Wajo, Sinjai, Enrekang, Pinrang and Soppeng Regencies.
The South Sulawesi Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) reported that Luwu was the district worst affected by flooding. There are 13 sub-districts in the district that were flooded.
As of Saturday (4/5) at 09.00 WIB, as many as 2,052 heads of affected families and 115 people in Luwu Regency had taken refuge in several mosques and relatives’ homes.
“The material losses recorded by the rapid assessment include 1,943 housing units affected, 109 housing units heavily damaged, 42 housing units washed away, four road sections affected, one bridge unit affected, 14 two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles affected, as well as rice fields and plantations. residents are affected,” said a statement from BNPB and BPBD South Sulawesi.
Basarnas South Sulawesi said it had deployed dozens of personnel from Makassar City and other areas to a number of disaster locations.
Residents ‘fear’ further disasters
Takdir (38), a resident of Kasibiang Village, Suli District, Luwu Regency, admitted that he was “scared” by the threat of further flooding.
According to Takdir, residents in his village are starting to be alert because there is a landslide in the mountains near the village.
“We remain alert because in the mountainous areas there are several landslide points. Don’t let the flood suddenly come,” he explained to journalist Darul Amri who reported for BBC News Indonesia.
Image source, Antara Foto
Image caption, Aerial photo of flood-affected settlements in Pitu Riawa District, Sidenreng Rappang (Sidrap) Regency, South Sulawesi, Saturday (4/5/2024).
Takdir said his relatives who lived in Malela Suli Village had been displaced from day to night. Some went to the nearest family home or the nearest mosque.
“Many have been evacuated. Vehicles cannot enter, so it is difficult for trail motorbikes to pass because the road is muddy up to their knees,” said Takdir.
BMKG issued a disaster alert for three days in South Sulawesi
Takdir’s concerns are quite reasonable considering that the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Wil. IV Makassar has issued an alert for the next three days for the disaster area.
BMKG IV Makassar forecaster, Amhar Ulfiana, mentioned the potential for hydrometeorological disasters such as flash floods and landslides in a number of areas.
“Today we are still giving alert warnings, above alert. There are three levels: alert, alert, then alert,” he explained.
A standby warning is given because the intensity of the rain is predicted to remain heavy to very heavy.
“Like floods and landslides, we are still preparing for tomorrow and the day after,” added Amhar.
The South Sulawesi Provincial Government has been criticized for not touching on risk mitigation
Chair of the Research Institute of Disaster Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hasanuddin University (Unhas), Dr. Ardy Arsyad, believes that the South Sulawesi Provincial Government is still focusing on the downstream sector, namely evacuation.
“Later, there will be landslides that will come down in large numbers, causing emergencies, emergencies, evacuations, rehabilitation. But there is something missing, in my opinion, risk mitigation (or) risk management. That is not touched by all parties,” said Ardy Arsyad.
According to Ardy, the government should take precautions, one of which is collecting data on disaster-prone areas.
“The problem now is that there are areas that are prone to landslides but they are too regional, not detailed. For example, it is said that North Toraja is prone to landslides, but the community wants to know where the prone areas are, if possible at the RT and RW level,” he stressed.
Apart from having to have data, the South Sulawesi Provincial Government needs to create a risk map, said Ardy. Moreover, he added, on average areas with a fairly high risk of disaster have unstable land contours, coupled with land clearing and climate change.
“So my suggestion is that the government should make a manual or pocket book for people who live on slopes, and disseminate it. The book is about how to cultivate land on slopes. It’s impossible to tell them to move even though they already own the land,” explained Ardy.
Image source, Basarnas
Image caption Apart from Luwu and Sidrap regencies, flood disasters have hit Wajo, Sinjai, Enrekang, Pinrang and Soppeng regencies.
Based on South Sulawesi BPBD data, 43 people died as a result of natural disasters throughout 2024 in South Sulawesi.
‘When we talk about mitigation, all elements are involved’
Head of South Sulawesi BPBD, Amson Padolo, said risk mitigation should not only be aimed at BPBD but also at various agencies such as the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the River Hall.
“That’s environmental damage, isn’t it? [ranah] BPBD but it is in related ministries, such as in the forestry environment. If the flood is related to the river basin. “So when we talk about mitigation, all elements are involved,” said Amson Padolo.
Amson said that his party had conveyed the issue of disaster mitigation to the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture so that all relevant agencies could be mobilized.
“Almost several provinces are like this, so we hope that there will be a unity coordinated by the coordinating minister to involve all units in handling mitigation,” continued Amson.
Previously, after the landslide disaster occurred in Tana Toraja, mid-April, the Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, said that all equipment for early detection of landslides – from indications of vulnerable areas to weather warnings – had been facilitated for local government. So, a disaster that could swallow lives could have been avoided.
“So, the regional government is spearheading this disaster management. Now what other information is needed? The regional map already exists, the risk map already exists. So now, the BMKG weather forecast tool is already there.
“We have taught practical technology to see natural phenomena. “We must also encourage this learning process to local governments,” stressed Abdul.
Reportage by journalist in South Sulawesi, Darul Amri.