Floods in Aceh's Indonesia because of Increasingly Environmental Damage

Flood occurred in 7 districts in the province of Aceh. In East Aceh, floods make Banda Aceh and Medan road impassable since Tuesday, 23 December 2014 end of the year. Due to the higher water in some areas public roads only truck or large vehicle that can pass. Severe flooded area is in East Aceh and North Aceh which reaches a height of 50-400 centimeters. Provisional data compiled by the Regional Disaster Management Agency, the number of refugees reached 120 966 people or 20 570 households. Floods  73 districts in seven districts, namely East Aceh, North Aceh, Aceh Tamiang, South Aceh, Pidie, Lhokseumawe and Banda Aceh.

In East Aceh, floods  25 773 276 houses in the village (23 districts) are causing 59 488 people (14 514 households) displaced. The worst area is the District Julok flooded to a height of 2 meters. A total of 5,743 inhabitants in 26 rural residents to flee to higher ground. Flooding in North Aceh struck 20 sub-districts since Friday, December 19, 2014. Now, the number of refugees still do data collection. Flooding in North Aceh caused by shallow rivers so that when it rains and rivers continue to overflow.

Meteorological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) stated that the peak rains in Aceh had passed, namely from October to November 2014, but the threat of flooding remains high view until the end of the rainy conditions will continue to decline in the region of Aceh.

Areas in Aceh is now susceptible to flooding due to sedimentation in the river due to environmental degradation. Need a comprehensive flood management, both structural and non-structural, so that flood risk can be minimized. Indonesian Environmental Forum Aceh expressed almost the entire watershed area (DAS) in the province of Aceh suffered severe damage, so frequent floods. This damage due to many factors due to encroachment and logging ilega higher in Aceh. Floods hit several areas in the province of Aceh occurred due to the destruction of forests in the basin, so that no longer able to perform its function to absorb water when it rains. In addition, conversion of forest lands for the benefit of large-scale plantations and mineral mining activities, as well as excavation C also exacerbates the watershed damage. This damage also occurs due to the inconsistency of forest and watershed conservation, whether public or local government.

Based on Presidential Decree No. 12 of 2012 on the establishment of a river, province has nine major river basins. Aceh River-Meureudu with 23 550 square kilometers wide, wide river Jambo Aye has 13 884 square kilometers, the River Alas-Singkil area of 10,090 square kilometers. Pase-Peusangan River has an area of 21 185 square kilometers, the River Tamiang-Langsa covering 12 970 square kilometers. Teunom river-wide Lambeso with 17 335 square kilometers, the New River area-Kluet area of 10 004 square kilometers, and Simeulue Island River region with an area of 1,980 square kilometers.

The people of Aceh began to fret with the cutting wood in the forest illegally. In addition, illegal logging there is another factor which is currently being developed, the elephant in the mountain rock making by employers and it must be stopped.

Logging Moratorium dilemma of Aceh's Government

Damage to forests of Aceh as it actually does not have to happen because the government has imposed a moratorium on (Ingub) logging in Aceh through the Governor Instruction No. 05 / INSTR / 2007. Ingub was signed by Yusuf (governor at the time) on June 6, 2007. The basis of the issuance Ingub considering that the occurrence of calamities such as floods, landslides and disruption of wildlife, among others, caused by the uncontrolled deforestation.

With the expectation Ingub Aceh Government and district / city has a sensitivity to the disaster. Floods and landslides some time ago that hit a number of areas in Aceh was due to lack of our concern for the preservation of the environment. The Government of Aceh districts and cities are expected to immediately stop the conversion of forest land into plantations, otherwise, would be in fear of floods and landslides still lurking elsewhere.

Qanun No. 19 of 2013 on Spatial Planning (RTRW) in Aceh was not fully ensuring the security of the environment, because of the area of the Leuser Ecosystem (KEL) has been removed. Government reevaluate all permissions which until now has not been executed. Furthermore, the government needs to re-greening of critical forest areas. Currently, there are approximately 1.6 million of critical forest in Aceh.

The Government of Aceh in 2008 mention loss of forest area due to wild flights reaching an average area of 900 hectares. So the total destruction of Aceh's forests per year to 32,000 hectares. Then Greenomic's 2009 Aceh forest damage data from April 2005 - April 2009, a total of four years as many as 163,000 hectares, or about 40,000 hectares of degraded forests per year. While data from the Aceh Forest Working Group Analysis 2010, mentions of the total 1.8 million hectares of protected forest area in Aceh, an area of 13 486 hectares reported in damaged condition, which occurs during the period of three years (2006-2009). While WALHI Aceh Aceh forest damage data recorded up to 23,000 hectares per year.

Looking at the numbers increase environmental problems in Aceh related to the current flooding problems in Aceh, regulations and illegal logging and other business conducted illegally, it shows lack of seriousness the government in managing and maintaining the environment.""""