By
Jose Limbay Lahi O. Espaldon
University of the Philippines Los Banos, Philippines
Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia — Global climate change changes the weather conditions in specific regions in different ways, from increasing intensity of typhoon, melting of glacial ice caps, thinning of the cryosphere, increase in sea level, and some migration of different species into other ecosystems. With these, comes different disasters that may affect the land formations, natural ecosystems, human lifestyle and of course, the environment. As focused by Dr. Tsung Yi-Lin, there are detrimental effects of these changes for the coastal and shorelines, specifically in Indonesia. These have negative effects such as salt-water intrusion, coastal hazards, storm surges typhoon waves, etc. Using historical data, Dr. Yi-Lin created different frameworks for the identification of proper mitigation systems. These systems may vary depending on who one is referring to, from the perspective of a geologist, hydrologist, engineer, etc. Some practices may include the traditional hard structures to alleviate and. Mitigate certain disasters, however, may also cause further damage. Engineering adaptations have been made in order to address these specific problems, mainly “soft-engineering” in which it targets beach nourishment and sand dune rehabilitation. Maintenance however, is expensive and has a low life span.
Understanding the basic concept of vulnerability and the relationship of human activity with the natural environment are some of the key points in which Dr. Dyah Rahmawati Hizbaron highlighted. With different backgrounds and expertise, the term vulnerability may differ and focus on different aspects in the context of disaster risk reduction. However, she noted that in order to create a clear, concise assessment, we should look into vulnerability holistically. Considering all factors, from natural, scientific, and the social aspect. Noting also how different agencies, areas, and regions use these tools to create programs and policies to assist in the mitigation and response mechanisms and processes.
Dr. Danang Sri Hadmoko set brief overviews of what is the current situation in the Java region, with 17,508 total number of islands with 250 million population that is not equally distribution; with 1340 ethnicities and 1,211 local languages; also, with 4 official languages. As said, Java region is exposed to a range of natural hazards, one of which, landslides. Although they are one of the most frequent, they have lower intensity. This happened in the past. However, in the event of climate change, as one of the root causes, there are increase of frequency and even intensity. As a lot of factors affecting landslide, Dr. Danang illustrated the many factors that may affect these hazards. From the slope of the land, vegetation, soil composition, and even human activity and land use. Primarily focusing on how to mitigate these risks, it is worth taking note that there is no one approach in any problem. Different views, different perspectives all contribute to the development of disaster risk programs and policies.
