Thousands of Indonesian Islands May Vanish

Tempo Interactive 11 Jun 09;

TEMPO Interactive, Bandung:Global warming has caused the sea level to rise, inundating small islands in Indonesia. According to Deputy State Minister for the Environment in charge of Environmental Communication and People Empowerment, Henry Bastaman, around 3.000-4.000 islands may vanish if this condition continues for the next 100 years.

“This may make Indonesian territory smaller,” Henry said at Padjadjaran University, Bandung, yesterday. He said the 4.000 figure was based on a simulation carried out by researchers at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).

The areas mostly threatened by this situation are small islands, such as those found in eastern Indonesia, covering Ambon, Southern Bali and West Nusa Tenggara. “This is what we worry about if the sea level continues to rises,” said Henry.

Indications which showed that these islands could disappear can be seen from the rise in sea levels when the tide comes in. In Indramayu, Henry said, sea water reaches as far as three meters ashore. In Jakarta, the tide can suddenly appear even though it is not raining.

It is estimated that by 2050, the Cengkareng area will be like Ancol and the beach will be found at the Soekarno – Hatta airport area. “If this condition persists, sea levels could rise up to 1 – 2 meter due to melting ice in the North Pole,” Henry warned.

Henry said there are no solutions to deal with this problem because of the global warming. “It is difficult to prevent because it is a natural phenomena.” People must change their living habits and adapt to nature, he urged.

People living in the coast, Henry added, must be warned that they are living in a dangerous area. Meanwhile, the regional government must improve the coastal landscape. “Mangrove forests must be rehabilitated because they are now in a critical condition,” he said.

ITB’s Environmental Management and Infrastructure Research Center chief, Ibnu Syabri, said that the rise in sea levels has also inundated Pondok Bali tourism area in Subang. “Five or six years ago, we could reach the area by land. But not anymore today,” he said. The local people now live with regular flooding. Water can come in as high as 30 centimeters.


ANWAR SISWADI