Government Will Fix Spatial Layout After Landslide in West Bandung

Efforts to search for victims of the landslide disaster in Pasirlangu Village, Cisarua District, West Bandung Regency (BNPB document)

JAKARTA - Minister of Environment and Head of the Environment Control Agency (KLH/BPLH), Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, emphasized that environmental recovery and landscape spatial improvement must be the top priority after the landslide disaster in Pasirlangu Village, Cisarua District, West Bandung Regency. The affirmation was conveyed when Hanif directly reviewed the affected location on Sunday, January 25.

The visit was carried out as a quick response from the government to identify the root of environmental problems that are considered to threaten the safety of the community. During the review, Hanif highlighted the importance of maintaining the carrying capacity and carrying capacity of the environment so that the ecological functions of the area remain preserved in the midst of land use activities.

Hanif emphasized that disaster management should not stop at emergency efforts alone, but must be based on thorough scientific studies. KLH/BPLH will send a team of experts from various disciplines to thoroughly evaluate the causes of landslides, especially those related to changes in land functions.

"Disaster management cannot be done in a partial manner. We will involve experts to study the main causes of this landslide and formulate follow-up steps, especially those related to spatial planning so that similar incidents do not recur," Hanif said in his statement, Monday, January 26.

Based on data from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the Cisarua area experienced rain for four consecutive days with an average intensity of around 68 millimeters per day. Although the rain was a trigger, Hanif assessed that the intensity was not considered extreme in terms of climatology.

"This rainfall is indeed a trigger, but with an intensity of around 68 millimeters per day, it is actually not too big when compared to other areas. This shows that there are other factors that need to be evaluated in depth," he said.

Hanif suspects that additional factors contributing to landslides are related to geological conditions, slope inclination, and agricultural land opening that do not pay attention to the principle of sustainable environmental management. The thinning of vegetation cover due to land use changes is considered to increase the risk of soil movement during rain.

According to Hanif, changes in land functions and the use of space that are not in accordance with the environmental carrying capacity are the key factors in increasing the risk of disasters, even though the rainfall is not in the extreme category. Therefore, sustainable space planning and vegetation restoration on critical slopes are long-term solutions that cannot be delayed.

KLH/BPLH, continued Hanif, will accompany the post-disaster environmental recovery process by assisting local governments in auditing spatial planning plans and strengthening ecosystem-based disaster mitigation.

He hopes that collaboration between the central government, local governments, and the community can create a balance between economic needs and environmental sustainability, while protecting the safety of the community in the future.