Jakarta (ANTARA) - As soon as the rainy season arrives, landslides become a threat to millions of Indonesians living on hillsides, foothills, and riversides.

In the last five years, landslides have claimed more than one thousand lives. A majority of them occurred without early warning.

This worrying statistic has prompted the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to begin designing a nationwide landslide early warning system that can cover all vulnerable areas. The system is expected to save more lives and lower losses.

As per BNPB records, in the last five years, the highest number of fatalities and missing persons were reported during landslides. From 2020 to 2024, the total death count due to landslides reached nearly 1,500.

The fatalities peaked in 2021, when 1,321 landslide incidents caused 178 deaths. The number of deaths further shot up to 235 in 2024.

During the period, West Java recorded the highest number of landslides at 1,515, with Bogor District accounting for the most incidents at 401. This reflects the complexity of the landslide threat in areas that continue to experience pressure from land conversion and residential area development.

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In view of this, the development of a nationwide landslide early warning system cannot be postponed any longer.

According to the BNPB, its early warning system will involve three approaches: satellite imagery-based monitoring to detect land changes and slope movements; installation of sensors to monitor rainfall and ground movements; and involvement of local communities.

It is studying those three aspects with the help of a number of universities and institutions to design a system that is accurate, fast, and easily accessible to the public.

Earlier, a community-based landslide early warning system (LEWS) was initiated by Gadjah Mada University and BNPB in more than 150 villages.

The system even received international recognition, obtaining ISO 22327 certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). However, its coverage was limited.

Now, the government is seeking to bring it to a national scale as part of an effort to protect citizens.

The BNPB has recommended strengthening the early warning system in areas with high landslide intensity, such as West Java, through the integration of detection technology with community training and strict supervision of land conversion.

Evacuation education and training will also have to continue to be intensified with the support of local governments and volunteers in more than 5 thousand disaster-resilient villages spread across disaster-prone areas.

This is important since, in addition to natural causes, landslides can also be triggered by human activity.

For instance, landslides are common in mining areas. The recent landslide in the Mount Kuda mining area in Cirebon, West Java, left 21 workers dead and four others missing.

Earlier, a landslide in Muara Enim District, South Sumatra, in 2020, killed 11 persons. Another in Bone Bolango, Gorontalo, in 2024 left 27 people dead and 15 others missing.

These tragedies underline the fact that landslides are not just a natural phenomenon, but can also be caused by the lack of monitoring of human activities related to the use of natural resources.

Head of the BNPB's Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center Abdul Muhari said that landslides cannot be addressed solely using a response-based approach.

A thorough mitigation strategy is needed, including strengthening the early warning system and increasing the preparedness of residents in vulnerable areas.

Muhari emphasized that residents need to consciously learn to live with the risks, supported by adequate knowledge and tools.

According to Head of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Muhammad Wafid, the prediction of landslides in Indonesia is becoming more complex due to climate anomalies caused by global warming.

Changes in rainfall patterns and increasing occurrences of extreme rainfall have rendered many previously safe areas vulnerable.

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He also acknowledged that extractive activities, such as open mining and the conversion of forests into settlement or agricultural areas without being balanced by studies, have sped up land degradation, which can trigger landslides.

As an expert in geology and earth sciences, Wafid recommended that all landslide-prone areas immediately update their risk maps and clearly define vulnerable zones in spatial planning.

The Geological Agency has been providing a complete risk map along with recommendations to regional governments every year.

Wafid said that regional governments will need to be determined about enforcing rules regarding land use and not ignore geological recommendations in granting licenses for construction projects.

He underlined that the early warning system will operate optimally only if there is control in spatial planning and human behavior.

The ISO-recognized LEWS system consists of seven subsystems, ranging from risk assessment to evacuation simulations. It prioritizes the active role of the community in leading early detection and rapid response efforts.

Such a community-based approach is not only expected to help build the equipment system but also nurture a culture of preparedness among people.

In the long term, an early warning system for landslides is not merely about installing technical equipment, but also a form of responsibility of the state to ensure the safety of its people.

It should invest in the system, not only by procuring equipment, but also by providing education and training to the community and securing people's active participation.

Other countries have proven that a good early warning system can save thousands of lives.

Indonesia, with its disaster risks, cannot solely rely on general weather forecasts since landslides have their own patterns and indicators that need special monitoring.

It is high time the nation bolsters its disaster resilience. A nationwide early warning system is the need of the hour since each minute of early warning before a landslide strikes can save valuable lives.

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