Bulaksumur - UGM research team proposes all residential areas on the Merapi slopes that are now buried due to Merapi's overflowing of lava to be used as a collective savanna region that serves as a source of fodder as well as residential and building free zone while land ownership is left to the citizens. It was delivered by UGM Architect, Prof. Ir. Sudaryono, M. Eng., Ph.D., in the Merapi Spatial Ideas Workshop at Graha Sabha Pramana on Saturday (4/12).
According to Sudaryono, the entire area that was buried with the lava has now become a new way for lava and pyroclastic flows. If this place is to be re-occupied, there is the high risk in the future that pyroclastic flows hit those villages again. Areas that are now buried under the lava and sand spans as long as 15 km with 2-10 meters in depth and 200 meters in width.
"The entire area of the submerged village is intended only for savanna, given that this village has become a new area for the lava and pyroclastic flows of Merapi," he said.
The residential settlement should be moved to the position of latitude with the distance area of 500 meters from the outer edge of the area where potential lava and pyroclastic flows can go. "They should be shifted about 500 meters away from the edge of the flood zone," he said.
He added that the realignment principles is based on the mythological concept of space, namely watu tumpeng, watu gajah, ringin putih, grojogan and labuhan. Then, the concept of economic territory includes the zone of Opak or fodder foraging zone, cattle’s barn zone. Finally, the sociological concept of space includes cluster and kinship.
"The new Residential should be arranged based on the values held by people by way of cluster and kinship while maintaining the spatial and technology concept that has existed before the eruption," he said.
He proposed that the collective savanna regions should be planted with tales plant, bananas and grass, because in the short and medium terms, only these three plants that are able to grow there. Even so, he proposed that this land should be secured immediately by the government to avoid possible conflict.
Sudaryono disagreed to relocate the people from this dangerous zone. According to Sudaryono, the relocation is not applicable to community scale but designed on the basis of individual choice. "Relocation is not a solution, because it can eliminate the respective historical, cultural, economic and community identity," he said.
The opinion was shared by UGM Geography and Environmental Studies expert, Langgeng Wahyu Santosa, S.Si., M.Si. He declared the entire area of lava and hot clouds glide as a restricted area for cultivation or settlement.
Meanwhile, the chief of the Center for Disaster Mitigation and Volcanology, Dr. Surono, revealed that the spatial arrangement of the residential areas for people living around the slopes has to consider all aspects in terms of cultural, social, and economic aspects. "It takes holistic spatial planning scenarios," he said.
He mentioned this time it is not easy to reduce the status of alert for Merapi even though its activity has reduced. "It is not easy to do and requires further discussion,” said Mbah Rono, as he is popularly called." Up until February, the lava flood will occur," he added.