According to Rahmat, there are at least four important factors to be prepared in disaster response. These are the availability of psychological first aid in emergency response, treatment facility for urgent psychiatric complaints, and sustainable care facility for individuals who have experienced mental disorders before the disaster, as well as design for post-disaster community mental health program.
"Assessment and observation indicated inadequacy of the four aspects. This is important remembering that the impact of this flood on community mental health is so high," he added Flood is a process of rushing and concentrated water flow because the river is filled with sediment load in the form of chunks of rock and soil (often accompanied by fallen trees) from upstream rivers. Flash flood is different from ordinary flood because water flow increases suddenly and quickly, even if it is not preceded by rainfalls downstream.
This was emphasized by UGM Professor of Geology and Environmental Engineering, Prof. Dr. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M. Sc, in ’90 Minutes Seminar on Knowledge Partnership" at the 2nd floor of LPPM room on Friday (29/10).
Also attending the discussion were Dr. Syamsul Maarif (Chairman of BNPB) and Dr Rahmat Hidayat (Team of Disaster Early Response Unit/DERU, also a lecturer of UGM Psychology).
Dwikorita added that whether or not deforestation exists, flood still occurs periodically as part of the process of landscape evolution. Flash flood is common in lowland areas of alluvial fan which are directly adjacent to rugged mountains with high rainfalls while the surrounding never experienced earthquakes.
Dwikorita explained that land vulnerable to flooding is characterized by the contrast of slope between hills and steep slopes that suddenly turns into lowlands. This condition is very similar to the natural landscape in Wasior, and many other areas in Indonesia which have similar landscape condition.
"A factor such as high rainfall has triggered a disaster in a particular region," she explained.
Therefore, Dwikorita in that opportunity again reminded the need for identification and mapping of flood-prone zone, appropriate and rigid spatial management, monitoring and early warning. "Monitoring is to detect the formation of sediment bending in the upstream, increased rainfall in upstream areas, and increased rate of rainfall and sediment from upstream to downstream," said Dwikorita.