Not Wanting to Guess, KLH Will Conduct Scientific Study After Cisarua Landslide

Minister of Environment and Forestry Hanif Faisol Nurofiq while reviewing the condition of land in the Cisarua landslide area, West Bandung Regency on Sunday (25/1/2026). ANTARA/Ilham Nugraha

BANDUNG - The Ministry of Environment (LH) has confirmed that it will send a team of experts to conduct an in-depth study of the post-disaster landscape of the landslide that occurred in Cisarua, West Bandung Regency, West Java.

Minister of Environment and Forestry Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said the study was needed to assess the environmental condition scientifically so that the steps taken could be carried out in a structured and targeted manner.

"We are sending a team of experts as we did in Sumatra because when it comes to the environment, it has to be scientists, not guessing, to determine further handling steps," said Hanif in Bandung, Antara, Sunday, January 25.

Hanif explained that the study conducted not only includes the physical impact of landslides, but also the ecological aspects in a comprehensive manner, ranging from soil conditions, vegetation, to the potential risk of subsequent disasters. Thus, the mitigation efforts that are compiled can be more accurate and sustainable.

He added that urbanization was one of the factors that triggered changes in land use around the Cisarua landslide area. This change also affected the agricultural patterns that developed in the region.

"Actually, this is an aspect of urbanisation that is quite massive in cities that brings about changes in eating patterns that are not our habits, such as potatoes, cabbage, bell peppers. All of that is in the subtropical area," said Hanif.

According to him, subtropical plants generally grow in areas with a height of 800 to 2,000 meters above sea level, while the characteristics of local areas have different conditions.

"We actually don't have that kind of character. It wasn't as big as this, so it had the impact of bringing agriculture up the mountain and opening up farmland like this," said Hanif.

To ensure that the study runs optimally, the Ministry of Environment will integrate a team of experts with the local regency government under the coordination of the regent. Landscape deepening will be carried out in detail by involving academics and research institutions.

"We will conduct a very detailed exploration of this landscape, and then take further handling steps. We may need one to two weeks to complete a detailed study with experts from academics, research bodies, and others," he said.