Indonesia Faces Floods and Landslides Before Year-End Festivities
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Jakarta, Dec 23 (NationPress) Severe flooding and landslides have affected various parts of the Southeast Asian archipelago in the last week, coinciding with the surge of travelers heading to popular tourist spots for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Over 55,000 residents in the Barru region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, have been impacted by floods that have reached depths of up to 1.2 meters, along with landslides in multiple areas since last week. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has reported one fatality due to these disasters in the region.
"The areas affected by flooding include several villages across seven sub-districts," stated Abdul Muhari, the BNPB spokesperson, on Monday, noting that significant road closures due to landslides have hindered access for the impacted residents.
Regional authorities, according to Muhari, have initiated emergency response measures, including the provision of temporary shelters for those in need.
In Jakarta, over 10,000 residents near the northern coastline have been impacted by tidal flooding since Friday, with floodwaters reaching depths of up to 1 meter in certain areas, leading to disruptions in traffic and train services.
The city administration, in collaboration with the central government, has been working on over 20 km of sea dike in the northern part of the city over the past few years to mitigate coastal flooding, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Tidal floods have also affected Banyuwangi in East Java since Sunday, submerging 1,200 homes.
Additionally, heavy rains have triggered floods on the popular holiday island of Bali, where several major roads have been inundated. Some tourists had to be evacuated using rescue boats. Local authorities also employed water pumps and managed traffic flow to address the situation.
Despite efforts by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and relevant stakeholders to modify the weather and reduce rain intensity in the past two weeks, torrential rains continue to affect certain regions.
The BMKG has cautioned that most of Indonesia is entering the rainy season, with rainfall intensity expected to rise by 20 percent due to a weak La Nina phenomenon, which usually brings wetter conditions.
The rainy season is predicted to peak in late December for most areas of Sumatra and southern Java, while central and northern Java are likely to experience their peak in January.
