Analysis of the phenomenon of extreme rainfall on floods in South Kalimantan
KONTAN.CO.ID – JAKARTA. Floods in South Kalimantan still inundated 5 of the 11 affected districts / cities until last Monday (1/2), at 09.00 local time. Inundation is still observed at an altitude of 10 to 30 cm in several districts, such as Hulu Sungai Tengah, Banjar, Hulu Sungai Selatan and Tanah Laut.
The high intensity of rain is suspected to be one of the triggers for widespread flooding in the South Kalimantan (Kalsel) region at the end of last month, where the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) conveyed that high to extreme rain intensity occurred evenly in South Kalimantan in the period from 8 to 14. January 2021. Prakirawan BMKG Kiki said that on January 11 and 12, 2021, 12 early warnings of heavy rain had been issued for the South Kalimantan region, starting at 2:40 am local time.
“The early warning is disseminated through the website, BMKG info mobile application, social media, as well as whatsapp group or telegram to BPBD and local users,” said Kiki in a flood learning webinar in South Kalimantan on Tuesday (2/2).
On the other hand, looking at the impact-based forecast product identification on January 11 – 12, 2021, the South Kalimantan region is one of the regions in the ‘Alert’ status, as well as on 12 – 13 January 2021.
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Therefore, Kiki said the floods in South Kalimantan on January 12, 2021 were triggered by rain with light to extreme intensity. This condition has occurred since January 10, 2021 in several areas of South Kalimantan. “Atmospheric conditions globally, regionally and locally around the South Kalimantan region before and during the flood were very supportive for the growth of rain clouds,” he added.
Meanwhile, various conditions triggered widespread flooding which resulted in tens of thousands of residents fleeing to safer places. Monitoring from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry noted changes in land cover from dry forest to plantations. This includes mining activities that lasted from 1990 to 2019.
An economic expert on climate information assessment from the Department of Geophysics and Meteorology, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Perdinan said that when talking about floods, there are three things that need to be considered, namely location, duration and area. This is important because it has implications for the resulting impact.
“Science and technology intervention for disaster management is important and in the future research is needed regarding the contribution of factors to flooding in an area,” he said.
He reminded that humans are still given the capacity to handle disasters.
In responding to flooding in its area, the Provincial BPBD has made various emergency handling efforts. More than 1,600 joint personnel, even with support from neighboring BPBDs, are involved in emergency response efforts, such as rescue and evacuation, aid distribution, health services and aged kitchens.
Based on the latest data as of February 2, 2021, at 09.00 WITA, the South Kalimantan Provincial BPBD recorded 11 administrative areas at the district and city levels that were affected by the flood. There are 28,379 people still displaced. While the casualties, BPBD recorded 24 residents died and 3 missing.
The command post, which was formed from the start, seeks to implement health protocols and Covid-19 screening in refugee camps. The provincial government also extended the disaster emergency response status for 7 days, starting from January 28 to February 3, 2021.
Entering February 2021, the people of South Kalimantan are urged to be vigilant and alert in the next 3 days. BMKG reports that the weather prospect in the next 3 days will still have the potential for light to moderate intensity rain, evenly distributed throughout the region.
The Kalimantan River Basin has flood control activities that will be carried out in 2021, including the Riam Kiwa Dam with the benefit of reducing flooding in the Martapura River, and Normalization of Flood Canals and Regulatory Pools with benefits to reduce flooding in the Barabai River.