The flood disaster that occurred in the city of Bandung, Monday (24/10), was the most severe flood disaster in the last 10-20 years. Urban flood almost always threatens major cities in Indonesia, especially Bandung that is surrounded by mountains and watersheds. Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Disaster Experts (IABI), Prof. Dr. Sudibyakto, assessed that changes in spatial and land use of Citarum upstream has a major impact on Bandung flood disaster. It was amplified by sloping topography of the city's drainage system.
Chairman of UGM Master of Disaster Management program said that the flood in the city of Bandung was originally due to short but intense rainfall that cause water to exceed the storage volume of the streamflow and drainage channel. Moreover, the drainage system in Bandung has sloping topography which contribute to faster flood. "It caused major flood that was able to hit anything in its path," said Sudibyakto, Tuesday (25/10).
Although the flood that hit the city of Bandung could not be separated from the weather, the condition of the land surface and human factors, the professor of the Faculty of Geography UGM assessed that changes in spatial and land use of Citarum upstream has a major effect on flooding in Bandung. In addition, urbanization and the emergence of housing along the river contributed to the flood disaster. "The rain with very high intensity (above 60 mm / h) would make soil infiltration capacity smaller than the intensity of the rain that prevents the land to absorb the excessive rainwater," he said.
He suggested that the flood in Bandung could occur repeatedly and more frequently. "Moreover, there is an influencing factor such as extreme rainfall as a result of climate change," he explained.
To that end, he recommended Bandung municipal government to create contingency plan for urban flood that could occur in Bandung anytime. So far, the Bandung municipal government has not formed a Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) or other institutions related to disaster. Although disaster training has often been held but has not yet been integrated. "Large scale Review and Spatial Evaluation of detailed spatial planning needs to be done thoroughly and gradually," he said.
Besides, he added, the regulation of land use is necessary for Bandung to be flood free. City people's behavior, including the regional leaders should change and focus on improving the urban ecosystem simultaneously and continuously to reduce the risk of flood to occur.