Most of regions in Indonesia has the highest rain intensity in January. From December until March, rain intensity is high that there will be more floods, landslides and whirlwinds occur during the months.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said, based on observation to national disaster pattern, Indonesia has the most frequent natural disaster to occur in January following the high intensity rains during the month.

"January is the peak of the disaster occurrence. More than 90 percent of hazards in Indonesia are hydrometeorological ones such as floods, landslides, whirlwinds, droughts, extreme weather and forest and wild fires," Head of Data and Information Center of BNPB Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on a written statement here Sunday.

Nugroho said Hydrometeorogical disasters has a positive correlation with the rain intensity pattern.

"Most of regions in Indonesia has the highest rain intensity in January. From December until March, rain intensity is high that there will be more floods, landslides and whirlwinds occur during the months," he said.

BNPB recorded Indonesia averagely experiences 1,295 natural hazards per year.

Having the most population in the country, West Java, Central Java and East Java are three region mostly prone to disasters.

"Hydrometeorological disaster does not occur by itself but more as an accumulation and interaction from several factors such as social, economy, natural degradation, urbanization, poverty, spatial, etc.," Nugroho said.

Increasing population inhabiting a disaster-prone area is a result of the lack of spatial regulation and poor law enforcement, Nugroho said.

Industrial area is built over a disaster-prone area, people are allowed to inhabit areas prone to flood and landslide without proper protection, he said.

In fact, risk of floods and landslides can be minimized as we are capable to identify the when, where and what mitigation measure should be done, Nugroho said.

"The main key is comprehensive structural and non-structural mitigations, spatial management and law enforcement," Nugroho said.

Previously, massive landslide occurred in Banjarnegara, Central Java, following torrential rain on Friday (Dec 12), killing at least 93 people.

Data from BNPB showed that as many as 40.9 million people, around 17.2 percent of the population of Indonesia, are in danger of landslides.

Several districts in Indonesia are also currently hit with floods such as South Bandung, Bojonegoro, Tuban, Gresik, and Cilacap.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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