UB Mitigation Expert: Forest Development Must Be Evaluated

Professor of Disaster Mitigation at Universitas Brawijaya (UB) Prof. Sukir Maryanto while at Cangar Station, Batu City, East Java BETWEEN/Endang Sukarelawati

MALANG - Professor of Disaster Mitigation at Universitas Brawijaya (UB)Prof. Sukir Maryanto said that the flash flood disaster in a number of Sumatra areas indicates that environmental problems require an immediate evaluation of deforestation.

"In addition to environmental issues, flash floods in the Sumatra region are also caused by the weakness of the disaster mitigation system in Indonesia," said Prof. Sukir as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, December 5.

Prof. Sukir said that many wood that was washed away during the flood indicated that there was illegal logging in the area.

He explained that deforestation is still a crucial issue, especially because Indonesia is below the world's average in sustainable forest management standards.

According to him, government programs in the past, such as the expansion of transmigration, rubber and oil palm plantations, mostly at the expense of forest cover without considering long-term impacts.

Prof. Sukir said that when he became transmigrant in Sumatra, he saw directly that large trees were cut down for land clearing. Similar conditions also occur in various forests in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

According to him, many cases of forest utilization do not match environmental designs, causing flooding.

In addition to deforestation factors, he continued, extreme weather is also the main trigger for flooding.

He said that September 2025 to February 2026 was an annual extreme weather phase in Indonesia. "Currently, extreme weather conditions. This cycle occurs every year," he said.

Prof. Sukir assessed that disaster mitigation could be carried out better if the weather information system in Indonesia worked optimally.

He then compared Indonesia's early warning capabilities with Japan which were considered far more precise and structured.

"In Japan, weather forecasts are available per hour and per small area such as sub-districts, information is on public TV, public transportation, and government websites," he said.

According to him, this system allows people to anticipate rain, strong winds or other disasters more quickly and accurately.

Prof. Sukir said BMKG needs to improve information and socialization functions, including strengthening collaboration with BRIN, Geological Agency, and universities.

"Coordination between institutions is still weak, so data and disaster monitoring equipment have not been properly integrated," he said.