"During August, hydrometeorology disasters continued to weigh down on Indonesia's territory," Acting Chairman of BNPB's Data, Information, and Disaster Communication Center Abdul Muhari noted in a written statement received here on Saturday.
When comparisons were drawn between the data in 2020 and 2021 for the same month, the number of natural disasters this year was found to have reduced by 35.68 percent, Muhari pointed out.
"In August 2020, some 241 disasters were recorded, while in 2021, around 155 incidents were reported," he elaborated.
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However, despite a reduction in the number of incidents, these natural disasters had a bigger impact, such as an increase in the number of deaths by 28.67 percent and an increase in destruction caused to structures by 660.67 percent, he stated.
According to Muhari, this situation should be carefully considered to re-evaluate mitigation and readiness at the locations susceptible to the same natural disasters annually.
He outlined that 61 incidents of floods, 44 instances of forest and land fires, 29 incidents of extreme weather, 17 instances of avalanches, two incidents of drought, one earthquake, and one instance of abrasion were reported in August 2021.
"As the result of these disasters, the BNPB recorded nine deaths," he noted.
Based on the extent of the incidents, six provinces with the highest frequency of disasters were West Java, with 26 incidents, followed by 18 in Central Kalimantan, 16 in Aceh, 15 in South Kalimantan, 12 in North Sumatra, and 11 in South Sulawesi.
Related news: Indonesia hit by 1,805 natural disasters during Jan-Aug 2021: BNPB
Translator: Andi Firdaus, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Suharto
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