BNPB: Indonesia Experienced 4,940 Disasters During 2023, Half Related To Wet Hydrometeorology

Head of BNPB Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto in the 2023 Disaster Kaleidoscope and 2024 Disaster Outlook in Jakarta, Friday (12/1/2024). (ANTARA/Astrid F/screenshot)

Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto stated that Indonesia experienced 4,940 disasters during 2023 with the majority in the form of wet hydrometeorological disasters.

"In 2023, what stands out in Indonesia is the wet hydrometeorological disaster such as floods, landslides, and extreme weather. Of the 4,940 disasters, at least half of the hydrometeorological disasters are wet," he said in the 2023 Disaster Kaleidoscope and 2024 Disaster Outlook' in Jakarta, Friday, January 12, confiscated by Antara.

In detail, as many as 4,940 disasters consist of 31 earthquakes, four volcanic eruptions, 1,802 forest and land fires (karhutla), 1,170 floods, 1,155 extreme weather, 579 landslides, 168 droughts, and 31 tidal waves and abrasion.

A total of 4,940 disasters caused damage such as 877 facilities to be damaged and 34,832 houses damaged which included 4,233 houses heavily damaged, 5,569 houses moderately damaged, and 25,030 houses lightly damaged.

"Not only infrastructure, but the disaster also caused casualties, namely 267 people died, 33 people were missing, 9,002,975 people suffered and fled, and 5,785 people were injured," he said.

Suharyanto said that the thousands of disasters that hit Indonesia made this country one of the 35 countries in the world that have the highest potential for disaster to occur.

In fact, if viewed on average in 2023 in one day, at least 15 to 17 disasters hit Indonesia, both small, medium, and large.

"Of this number of disasters, every month there must be major disasters," he said.