BNPB: Hydrometeorological Disaster Most Dominating In 2020

Ketua BNPB Dar Monardo (Photo: Doc BNPB)

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) recorded 2,925 natural disasters during 2020 which were dominated by hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, flash floods, and forest and land fires (karhutla). Thousands of natural disasters occurred from January 1 to December 28.

"From the number of disasters, hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, flash floods, landslides, whirlwinds are still dominant this year," said the Head of BNPB Doni Monardo in the Kaleidoscope Disaster 2020 webinar and Predictions of Phenomena and Potential Disasters in 2021 which were broadcast on the account. YouTube BNPB, Tuesday, December 28.

He then explained the details of the hydrometeorological disasters that occurred throughout 2020. Flood disasters had occurred as many as 1,056 incidents; whirlwinds occurred as many as 873 incidents; and landslides occurred in 572 events.

Next, for forest and land fires there were 326 incidents; tidal waves and abrasion occurred as many as 36 events; and drought occurred in 29 events.

For Karhutla, Doni explained that there had been a decrease in cases throughout 2020. As of November, he said the coverage area reached 300 thousand hectares or decreased by 81 percent when compared to last year's 1.6 million hectares.

Thus, Doni expressed his appreciation for a number of areas deemed capable of reducing the number of forest and land fires, such as South Sumatra, Jambi, Bengkulu, Riau, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and East Kalimantan.

"It is an achievement that we should appreciate, especially for regions that have been experiencing forest and land fires with quite high intensity," he said.

Apart from appreciating the regions, he also gave appreciation to all elements such as Ministries / Institutions, TNI and Polri, as well as BPBD who have collaborated with BNPB. With this kind of collaboration, he hopes that forest and land fire control can be better and maintained in the coming years.

Returning to the matter of disasters, Doni then revealed the number of geological and volcanological disasters. He said that earthquakes occurred 16 times and volcanic eruptions occurred seven times.

Of the total disaster events that occurred in 2020, 370 people died, 39 people were missing, and as many as 536 people were injured.