JAKARTA - The Indonesian Association of Geologists (IAGI) emphasizes the importance of a geoscience approach as a basis for decision-making in disaster management and development planning. So far, the response to disasters has been considered to be reactive, not preventive.
Secretary General of the IAGI Central Board 2023-2026, Mirzam Abdurrachman said, the discussion held by IAGI through talk shows and forum group discussions (FGD) aims to encourage a change in perspective in dealing with environmental disasters.
"We hope that from the experience of the disaster that occurred, we will no longer respond reactively. The incident occurred, then we took action. Geoscience must be the basis for decision-making," said Mirzam, Monday, January 27.
According to him, the repeated disasters show that the geoscience aspect has not been placed proportionally in spatial planning policies, infrastructure development, and disaster risk management.
In fact, with the approach of geoscience, the government can map dangerous areas, relatively safe, as well as the types of disaster threats that may occur in an area.
"If geoscience is placed at the beginning, we can determine which areas are dangerous, which areas are relatively safe, and the handling is certainly different. Including land use changes and infrastructure strengthening, all the bases must be from geoscience," he said.
Mirzam explained that Indonesia's geological position, which is located at the meeting of three tectonic plates, makes this country have high potential for resource and disaster threats.
Therefore, geoscience understanding must be the foundation in spatial planning, disaster mitigation, and national development.
However, he assessed that the geoscience approach has so far often been seen in a partial manner. New policies are usually taken after a disaster occurs, not based on risk analysis from the beginning.
"We should be more preventive. If you live in an area prone to earthquakes or landslides, how is the infrastructure prepared? That should be the basis for decision-making," he said.
IAGI also encourages the birth of the Kebumian Law as a comprehensive legal umbrella. Currently, regulations related to kebumian are still scattered in various sectoral laws, so that they do not have integrated legal power.
"We encourage the Law on Land because currently the legal system is still partial. If we make new policies, their strength is not binding because there is no complete legal umbrella," said Mirzam.
He said that the draft Law on Kebumian would cover various aspects, ranging from disasters, natural resources, geotechnology, to geotourism. The goal is that all activities related to kebumian have a clear legal basis.
Apart from regulatory issues, Mirzam highlighted the technical challenges in development in disaster-prone areas. According to him, the failure of infrastructure to face disasters is not merely a technical error, but the result of the use of old data that is no longer relevant to current geological conditions and climate change.
"The maps used were made for past conditions. Now the geological and climatic conditions have changed. Therefore, data must continue to be updated and used as a policy basis," he said.
He also emphasized the importance of education and information delivery to the public. Many disaster data have been updated, but are not understood or do not reach the public due to limited access and communication.
"Data has been updated, but the public does not understand or accept information. This is what makes disasters still unavoidable," he said.
Mirzam assessed that disaster mitigation in Indonesia still faces various challenges, ranging from limitations in the legal umbrella, geographical diversity, to social and cultural factors. In some cases, the delivery of information is more effective if it is carried out by local community leaders.
"Sometimes geoscience alone is not enough. Good data must be delivered by the right person," he said.
For comparison, Mirzam cited Japan which makes geoscience as the main basis for decision-making. The country carries out mitigation even in uninhabited areas, because the impact of disasters not only concerns humans, but also infrastructure and the economy.
"Japan, Singapore, and several European countries have used geoscience as a policy basis. We can learn from them," he said.
IAGI hopes that the geoscience approach can be applied holistically in national policies, so that disaster management is no longer reactive, but based on mitigation and long-term planning.
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