Week 8 - Mass Wasting

 

    Landslides are a frequent occurrence in Indonesia, accounting for one of the highest disaster death tolls in the country. Indonesia National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) estimates that 125 million Indonesians, nearly half of the county's population, live in at-risk areas for landslides, with 40 million living in high-risk areas mostly in Java, Sumatra, and the Sulawesi islands. 

    This hazard can be attributed to Indonesia's high intensity rainfall, many mountainous regions, its geological conditions, and land-use change/land degradation from farming activities. According to a BNPB spokesperson, irresponsible land-use changes are one of the primary causes of this hazard and increase landslide frequency and strength. 

    Despite the high occurrence of landslides in Indonesia, the Indonesian government's response to this hazard has been lacking, even compared to the subpar response and mitigation efforts of other more high-profile hazards like volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. 

Sources: 

Landslides Could Become Indonesia's Worst Nightmare - Asian Scientist Magazine

3 Main Causes of Floods in Indonesia and How to Prevent Them | WRI Indonesia (wri-indonesia.org)

(PDF) Land Degradation and Landslide in Indonesia (researchgate.net)