Deal With Disasters, Mensos Risma: Need Local Wisdom

Social Minister Tri Rismaharini (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Social Minister Tri Rismaharini stressed the need for local wisdom in disaster management, reflecting on his experience handling the floods that once hit Surabaya while he was still mayor.

Risma believes that if local wisdom is maintained, where the government and its communities work together to protect or not damage the environment, then disasters such as landslides and floods can be minimized.

"I have proven two periods leading the city of Surabaya where 52 percent were formerly flooded areas. Alhamdulillah thanks to cooperation with local wisdom, the area changed no longer experienced flooding," he said in his statement received in Jakarta, reported antara, Friday, May 21.

He recalled that when he was appointed mayor for a few months, heavy rains occurred and 52 percent of Surabaya was flooded. He claimed to have almost given up.

"I don't sleep three days and three nights. How this Surabaya is flooded. I'm going around Surabaya, find out what caused it. Finally in the area of Jalan Mayjen Sungkono can be known the cause, from that night can also be overcome," he said.

On Mayjen Sungkono Street apparently known many cables or utilities that had been a problem. Risma immediately created a cable line design that does not interfere with the irrigation system to overcome it.

In addition, Risma also ensures that the water system in Surabaya is connected to each other. It also increased the pump capacity, channel capacity and also the game of floodgates.

Surabaya City Government under the command of Risma also planted barren and dry land including coastal areas with shrimp fir trees and various fragrant root maupaun flowers (vertifer grass) of economic value. Plus the manufacture of embung-embung, reservoirs that automatically also cope with global warming.

"Evidently, local wisdom has made Surabaya one of the cleanest cities in the world," he said. He emphasized to regional leaders, to strengthen local wisdom as a way to reduce the greenhouse effect (global warming).

Previously, Mensos expressed this during his visit to South Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra, in order to provide assistance to the families of batang toru landslide victims. He also conveyed the occurrence of natural disasters in recent times, not separated from the existence of global warming .

To the forkompinda ranks, he asked to follow his advice. "Rest assured not only developed countries, we can also do that," Risma said.

The Batang Toru landslide, he said, became a valuable lesson in the hope that events would not repeat themselves. Let's strengthen local wisdom in order to maintain the environment as well as efforts to prevent global warming.*