YOGYAKARTA – The effort to resolve flooding that relies on structural buildings proves to be ineffective to resolve or minimise flooding occurences. An integrated and comprehensive flood controlling model is, therefore, needed that refers to non-structural building, involving all stakeholders. This topic came out in the discussion on Wednesday (23/1) among civil engineering experts of UGM to give input to the effort to mitigate flooding.
Flood observer as well as former Director General for Water Resource of Public Works Ministry, Ir. Siswoko Dipl.HE., said that government policy in flood mitigation orientates more on physical building, not management of water resource network or water catchment areas. “The effort currently done is not anticipating against the dynamics of natural phenomenon and environment,” said visiting lecturer of disaster mitigation of UGM.
He proposes government to involve all those concerned to jointly implement flood controlling system by encouraging non-structural building, including flood management, flood prediction and early warning, flood mitigation, re-settlement, spatial improvement and reforestation, public information dissemination and waste management reinforcement.
Lecturer of Civil Engineering and Environment of UGM, Prof. Ir. Nur Yuwono, Dipl.HE., said that the success would depend on the government and society in supporting government’s programme.
Even so, he proposes flood controlling methods that can be adopted by Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo to require all households to catch rainwater whether in absorption well or wells that keep rainwater to be used for daily consumption.
Meanwhile, Dean of Engineering Faculty, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, said the flooding in Jakarta and other areas were due to the climate change impact and uncontrolled fossil energy uses that cause high precipitation. “We don’t ignore the fact that planning and implementation of infrastructure building are often hampered by the minimal social support,” he said.