Jabodetabek Flood Encourages Corrections To Spatial Planning

JAKARTA - Early March 2025 coincided with the beginning of the month of Ramadan, the people of Jabodetabek actually had to be dizzy due to floods that almost paralyzed their activities. Indonesia, as an archipelagic country located in the tropics, often faces various natural disasters, including hydrological disasters. Hydrology disasters are disasters related to water cycles, such as floods, landslides, droughts, and flash floods.

The flood disaster due to extreme rains was seen pouring down the Bekasi area and inundating the entire Bekasi area, especially because the flow of the Cibeet river and the Cileungsi river overflowed due to high rainfall in the southern part or Bogor. Even the area experienced extreme rain actually occurred in Puncak and Bogor. According to the Director of Metrology, Andri Ramdhani from BMG, the rainfall in the Puncak Bogor area reached 300 mm/day on March 4. So that along the Cibeet River and Cileungsi River there was a flood.

Meanwhile, the rain in the Jakarta area is not too heavy, only moderate rain, however, there are a few floods in several areas, especially in several areas in the Ciliwung River and Pesanggrahan River. However, areas such as Rawasari and Kampung Melayu remain flooded areas due to overflowing Ciliwung rivers, and areas that the Pesanggrahan River passes through. However, flooding in Jakarta March 4 only occurred not too long, the maximum water level was only up to 70 cm.

Floods were also seen in the Tangerang area due to the overflow of the Cisadane River. The one that originates at Mount Salak and empties around the Tanjung Burung area, Tangerang. Floods in the Tangerang area can be seen in the Ciledug area with a height of 60 cm.

Seperti cycle 5 tahunan kawasan Jabotabek selalu mengalami kejadian banjir besar. Apalagi Indonesia berada di wilayah dengan curah hujan tinggi, terutama selama musim hujan. Apalagi perubahan iklim global telah menyebabkan pola hujan menjadi tidak terprediksi, dengan intensitas hujan yang lebih ekstrem. Hal ini meningkatkan risiko banjir dan tanah longsor.

President Jokowi's efforts to build several reservoirs, especially Ciawi and Sukamahi dams, which are planned to overcome flooding in Jabotabek, especially the Ciliwung water flow, seem ineffective. Because this time the floods towards the Bekasi area came from two Cibeet rivers and the Cileungsi river which originates on the slopes of Mount Sangga Buwana, Cianjur or on the eastern route of Bogor.

According to Mukri, the river route from the Wahana for the Environment (Walhi) of the Puncak area river is divided into three, the eastern part of the river is the river that originates at Mount Sangga Buana, up to the Bekasi river. Then the middle route that originates from Pangrango, passes through the Ciliwung River, then enters the katulampa and flows through the Ciliwung river and empties in the northern sea of Java, this river is often the cause of flooding in the Jakarta area. This route has already been built a reservoir/beundung Ciawi and a Sukamahi dam.

The construction of the Ciawi Dam and Sukamahi Dam in Bogor is a strategic project designed to control water flow to Jakarta and reduce the risk of flooding in the Greater Jakarta area. These two dams were built as part of an integrated flood control system, especially to withstand rainwater that fell in the upstream (Bogor) area before flowing to Jakarta. Meanwhile, in the area there is a Cisadane river flow which is upstream from Mount Salak via Tangerang to the Tanjung Bird estuary to the north sea.

However, according to city planning experts from the Tri Sakti, Yayat Supriatna, the two dams (Ciawi and Sukamahi Dams) can hold water before reaching the area before reaching the Katulampa area. However, the rain discharge during the rain on March 4 is actually the high intensity of rain in the surrounding Bogor area, which flows towards the Cileungsi river and the Cibeet river then flows into the Bekasi river. Meanwhile, Bekasi river's supporting power is almost equal to the road.

Yayat said that Bekasi will at any time be threatened with flooding if there is no immediate improvement and arrangement of the area around the riverbanks and spatial planning will not be immediately improved in watersheds such as the Cileungsi and Cikeas rivers. Moreover, what was originally a good irrigation area since 1970, Bekasi has turned into a residential area with the entry of BTN with the Perumnas Program at that location. Finally, it became the development of housing, changing the function of rice fields into settlements. Moreover, the arrangement of existing housing is not designed with adequate planning. Always threatens the potential for flooding.

All understand that natural conditions in the Jabotabek area, the cause of flooding in the area occurred because hydrological disasters were not only caused by one factor. Apart from the high rainfall factor due to climate change, also due to environmental damage in the upstream part, deforestation occurs and changes in land cover due to damage to regional spatial planning in the upstream part. As a result of illegal logging activities and land conversion for plantations or mining have reduced the ability of the soil to absorb water.

In addition to the poor drainage system and river bodies, the condition of rivers in the Bekasi area, including Jakarta, has never been held to dredging deposits, resulting in deposition. In addition to the lack of public awareness not to throw garbage in the river body.

The Impact Of The Hydrologous Disaster

Hydrological disasters not only cause material losses, but also have an impact on people's social and economic lives. Some of the frequent impacts include damage to infrastructure, roads, bridges, and buildings damaged by floods or landslides.

Another impact of health problems due to flooding will cause disease outbreaks such as diarrhea and leptospirosis. In addition to health problems. The impact of the economy is definitely felt by the community, such as crop failure, property damage, infrastructure damage and other disturbances. In fact, mental loss is unavoidable.

Then what efforts and mitigation are needed to anticipate and what must be prepared to overcome this condition. In addition to continuing to prepare fast reaction troops to deal with disaster emergency conditions. Continue to coordinate with BMKG to obtain early response information on the presence of disasters, including engineering or weather modifications.

Spatial Planning is directed to regulate development so as not to disturb water catchment areas and disaster-prone areas. Long-term handling certainly makes improvements, structuring upstream areas, re-reforestation of watersheds along river flows. Repairing spatial planning to repair areas, including fixing river flow improvements, making reservoirs/ dams for lower areas, such as in the Cileungsi River, Cikeas and in the Depok area.

Finally, there was a firm action like that taken by the Governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, to seal the building that did not have a permit. Even returning the designation of the area from the former tea garden to a garden or greening the area. As well as confirming that there are no buildings in the water catchment area.

The decisive action taken by the West Java government in overcoming floods in Jakarta and Jabodetabek reflects a serious commitment to reduce disaster risk and restore the environment. Strict steps such as river normalization, controlling illegal buildings, reforestation, and dam construction are expected to provide long-term solutions. However, the success of this effort also greatly depends on the active participation of the community and consistency in law enforcement by the government.

The cause of the Jabodetabek flood is standard. The loss of land replants and conversion of land into concrete buildings, especially Puncak. This, although Bekasi's history has always been flooded since the Dutch era. Dedi Mulyadi's move deserves appreciation.

Floods also occurred on Thursday, March 6 evening following floods in the Sukabumi area, West Java, flash floods. Had caused casualties if the result was that after the settlement, which was located on the edge of the cliff, it was washed away due to floods and landslides, a mother was found dead and 7 people were still missing because they were carried away by landslides. The damage to a house in Sukabumi was also reported to have damaged a bridge and cut off the road at that location.

Meanwhile, in tackling floods, 4 regional heads, such as the Regent of Bogor, the Mayor of Bekasi, the Regent of Bekasi, the Mayor of Depok and the commanded by the Governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, agreed to a joint venture to overcome the flood problem. The funds collected reached Rp500 billion and are planned to build reservoirs and dredge them up at the estuary of the Cileungsi River and Bekasi River.