BPBD Identify 3 Flood Factors in Natuna, Including Land Function Change

Illustration. Floods in Central Kalimantan (Central Kalimantan) on May 15, 2022. (ANTARA-HO-Bartim Police)

RIAU ISLAND - Natuna Regency, Riau Islands Province often becomes a flood customer. The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) identifies potential disasters that occur every year in Ranai.

The Chief Executive of the Natuna Regency BPBD, Raja Darmika, said that the potential for flooding in Natuna was of them due to land conversion in the area.

"From the results of our mitigation efforts, we are in the early stages, namely identifying potential disasters, especially floods that often hit the district capital, namely Ranai, because we (BPBD) have just been formed, so the real mitigation that we do is only at this stage", said Raja Darmika, quoted from Antara, Thursday, September 6.

Overcoming this, Darmika said his party would coordinate with the Public Works Service (PU), the Public Housing Service, Settlement and Land Areas, and the Environment to discuss further the results of the identification.

"We are limited to mitigation, for actions or implementing activities in this effort involve many parties. Therefore, soon we will hold a meeting related to this and hope there will be a follow-up", he said.

Darmika explained, in addition to land conversion due to buildings and landfills, other factors that caused flooding in Natuna were the closure of river bodies due to buildings on the banks of the river, as well as the presence of sediment or silting of the river flow.

"After an investigation, there are three rivers that have the potential to contribute to flooding, including the Batu Hitam River, the Ranai River, and the Jemengan River", he added.

Not only that, but Darmika also revealed that the area that has the potential for flooding is the Air Lakon area because there is no river flow due to being blocked by buildings and landfills around the area.

"Soon, we will follow up so that there is a real effort to be made because so far the sub-districts and urban villages have also proposed river normalization activities, just what kind of follow-up, we have also formed a mitigation forum", he said.

"To realize this disaster mitigation effort requires the seriousness of all parties and hopes that in 2023 these efforts will be realized through the relevant agencies", continued Darmika.