Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono has said the government has prepared a flood-resilient city program focused on increasing river capacity and building the water resource infrastructure in response to climate change.

“We are attempting to increase the river capacity by dredging, broadening, or constructing embankments,” he stated at the main event of the online commemoration of 2021 World Habitat Day and World City Day here on Wednesday.

For instance, the ministry has built the Nanjung Tunnel to expedite the water flow capacity of Citarum River, which often floods several areas in Baleendah sub-district, Bandung city, West Java, he informed.

In addition, it has constructed a canal from Cisangkuy River to Citarum River to reduce the volume of water flowing through the Cisangkuy River, he said.

Furthermore, the minister said the climate crisis has influenced the work of the ministry since it has changed the hydrometeorological cycle.

As the cycle change will bring heavier rainfall in a shorter time, various incidents of floods, flash floods, and landslides are expected to occur more frequently, he explained.

Thus, the ministry has to build infrastructure to prevent disasters from causing more damage to the community, he added.

“The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) has warned us of the upcoming La Nina. Hence, they have also invited us to a coordination meeting to deal with the disaster as it is our duty to prepare for it,” Hadimuljono said.

Hence, he said he has asked all staff at the ministry to embody the theme of 2021 World City Day of ‘Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience’ so that Indonesia is ready for and able to continue adapting to the crisis.

“I expect we can become an example for other ministries in adapting to climate change,” he added.

Source: Antara News