BNPB: Indonesia Experienced 185 Natural Disasters in the Beginning of 2021

Jakarta, MINA – Based on official data from Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has recorded 185 disasters in Indonesia as of Thursday, January 21.

Most of them are floods, namely 127 events, followed by 30 landslides.

A series of disasters in early 2021 left 166 people dead, more than 1,200 injured and those “suffering and displaced” more than 1.3 million people.

When compared to the same period in January 2020, BNPB recorded 297 disasters at that time, including floods in the Jakarta and surrounding areas, as well as landslides in a number of other areas.

The disaster earlier this year claimed more lives than a number of disasters in January 2020 which killed 91 people.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned the public to raise awareness of a “multi-risk” disaster that will increase until next March.

BMKG said weather and climatic factors, including the peak of the rainy season will enter their peak in January and February.

“Until March, there is still potential for multi-risk, but for hydrometeorology it will peak in January-February . The potential for seismicity has also increased, please be alert to the public,” said BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati in an online press conference last week.

However, a number of environmental organizations and activists say that apart from weather and climate factors, deforestation also contributes to floods and landslides.

Greenpeace Indonesia, for example, told ABC Indonesia that floods, landslides and forest fires have occurred in recent years, especially in areas where forest conditions are already in critical condition.

“These disasters are closely related to the accumulated damage to forests that have an impact on climate change,” said Arie Rompas, head of the forest campaign team from Greenpeace Indonesia. (AT/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)