The Ministry Of PUPR Increases Infrastructure Construction Resilience As A Disaster Mitigation Effort In Indonesia

PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of PUPR)

The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) has made efforts to mitigate earthquake disasters, such as utilizing the 2017 Indonesian Earthquake Map published by the National Earthquake Center to establish a Disaster-Prone Zone.

"The PUPR Ministry is also developing more practical and up-to-date earthquake-resistant building technology to reduce earthquake energy, namely the Rubber Bearing seismic isolation system for 26th floor office buildings in Jakarta, as well as the Lead Rubber Bearing type which has been applied to several roads and bridges," said PUPR Minister Basuki in his press statement, quoted Friday, March 3.

The PUPR Ministry together with the Indonesian Engineers Association (PII) also plans to send an engineer team to Turkey to conduct learning related to the massive collapse of buildings due to the tectonic earthquake that hit Turkey, some time ago.

In the future, continued Basuki, his party together with the Building Safety Committee (KKBG) will seek the resilience of building construction in big cities and earthquake-prone areas, such as conducting periodic inspections of construction resilience to earthquake shocks, as well as strengthening construction on buildings that do not meet standards.

"Then, implement earthquake-resistant building standards through the Building Building Approval (PBG) mechanism and the implementation of the Building Code consistently. Finally, promote training for construction actors," he said.

In addition to mitigation efforts against earthquakes, the Ministry of PUPR is also trying to mitigate other disasters, such as optimizing the use of 222 dams that have been built, normalizing the Ciliwung river, and the construction of the Ciliwung Sodetan to deal with La Nina.

In addition, the Ministry of PUPR will also form a Dam Management Unit (UPB) to alert dams, as well as operational and maintenance activities at bore wells in the face of El Nino.

Meanwhile, regarding other hydrometeorological disasters, such as tidal flooding that occurred in Semarang and Pekalongan, the Ministry of PUPR will carry out short-term handling by adding pumps and long-term by increasing the number of floodgates in pump houses.

Then to reduce land subsidence in Jakarta, the Ministry of PUPR seeks the construction of SPAM with the KPBU scheme and the construction of sea embankments.

For your information, PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono was present at the 2023 National Disaster Management Coordination Meeting (Rakornas PB) organized by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) at JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta, Thursday, March 2.

On this occasion, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani, TNI Commander Yudo Margono, Indonesian Police Chief Listyo Sigit, Head of BNPB Lt. Gen. Suharyanto, and Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII DPR RI TB. Ace Hasan Syadzily.

President Jokowi said climate change has caused the frequency of natural disasters in the world to increase dramatically.

"Indonesia occupies the top three positions in the most disaster-prone countries or an 81 percent increase in the frequency of natural disasters from 2010 as many as 1,945 disasters, now in 2022 it has jumped to 3,544 disasters," he said.

President Jokowi explained that the pre-disaster stage is important to prepare and educate the public regarding disaster anticipation measures.

This needs to be a priority to minimize victims and losses.

First, through early warnings. Second, by educating the public, to find out where to take cover when a disaster occurs. Finally, related to spatial planning and construction.

"We already have a map where the location of the eruption of the volcano, earthquake, and other disasters occurs. It should start to be obliged to the community to build buildings whose construction is anti-earthquake, especially in earthquake-prone areas," he added.