Climate risk intelligence (10/03/2021) - Indonesia
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INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES WARN OF CONTINUED EXTREME WEATHER, POTENTIAL FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Tuesday 09th March 2021, warned of the potential for extreme intensity rain along with thunderstorms and strong winds in parts of Java and Sumatra. The BMKG also called on regional authorities to anticipate flooding and landslides with extreme weather forecast in 23 provinces, including Jakarta, Banten, Bali, West and Central Java, South Sulawesi and South Sumatra.
On Tuesday 09th March, the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) warned residents of potentially heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in West, South and East Jakarta. The Pasar Ikan sluice gate in North Jakarta reached Siaga 2 (Warning) at 0600hrs on 09th March before dropping to Siaga 3 at around 1000hrs.
The BMKG also issued a “Siaga'' or Warning alert for flooding and landslides across Java as well as in West and East Nusa Tenggara, Central and South Sulawesi, with higher than normal rainfall expected for Tuesday and Wednesday.
The BMKG also warned residents in coastal areas to remain alert for flooding caused by strong winds and high waves in the Indian Ocean.
Wave conditions in the Java Sea are predicted to reach up to four metres high.
Hill & Associates Assessment
There is an elevated risk of flooding and landslides in regions subject to high intensity rainfall. The BMKG recently forecast a prolonged likelihood of extreme weather until April due to tropical cyclones and continuing monsoon conditions.
The transition period from the rainy to dry season is expected to start in May.
Extreme weather is common during the transition period.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has acknowledged that most regional administrations are still not equipped to respond to major natural disasters despite improvements in recent years. A number of regions, including Jakarta, have been hit by flooding and landslides in the past month resulting in fatalities and significant property damage.
The BNPB recorded 657 natural disasters from 1 January to 1 March this year, with 271 people killed, about 12,000 injured and more than three million people evacuated. Jakarta remains poorly equipped to deal with the huge volume of rainwater and runoff into its rivers, much of which flows from Puncak and Bogor in neighbouring West Java during periods of heavy rain.
Five people were killed and about 1,700 people were evacuated as flooding inundated homes in 200 neighborhoods (RT) across the capital on 20 February.
The city administration claims that its Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) is functioning properly, and that new water pumps have been installed in flood-prone areas in West and East Jakarta. However, Governor Anies Baswedan has been criticised for reducing the city's budget for flood mitigation on an annual basis since he took office in 2017.
In early March 2021, a group of residents affected by recent flooding visited City Hall and demanded that the administration provide them compensation of IDR2 billion. They also accused the city of failing to conduct adequate flood mitigation.
Members of the city council last month criticised the governor for removing the river normalisation program from draft amendments to the revised Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD). However, Jakarta deputy governor Riza Patria recently said that the program will continue in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing.