The biggest threat to the territorial integrity of Indonesia is not annexation by neighboring islands, but climate change will destroy the island and shrink the 3000 boundaries of this country.
Salim environmentalists threw it in the seminar of Marine and Climate Change, Thursday (30 / 4), which held Environmental Science Program Graduate Studies, University of Indonesia in cooperation with the Directorate General of Marine Coastal and Small Islands Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.
In the seminar, Emil scenario describes the sea level rise due to an accumulation of gas-greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide gas. "The increase in sea temperatures not only increase the volume of sea water due to melting ice at the poles, but also the expansion of sea water molecules," he said.
Meanwhile, according to Director of Empowerment Small Islands Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) Alex Retraubun SW, island-type lowlands of the most endangered is gone due to sea level rise. Land elevation in this type island range one meter. So far the island is also the most prone to natural disasters such as typhoons and tsunamis.
DKP survey results showed small islands in Indonesia which this type is the Thousand Islands, Sumenep Islands, Aru Islands, Selayar. "The islands are threatened is missing from the face of the earth due to sea level rise," said Alex.
According to Emil, there are about 20 percent of the entire island in Indonesia, or about 3000 that threatened the island was inundated by sea level rise.
In addition, a survey conducted in 2007 shows have been observed sea level rise in some regions in Indonesia waters, namely in Java 15 millimeters per year, whereas in the Timor Sea and the Celebes 19 mm and 16 mm per year. The rising trend in the South China Sea 17 mm per year.
Facing the sea level rise, said Alex, DKP cooperation with Bandung Institute of Technology developed a Coastal Vulnerability Index last year. In the index included some parameters, such as the establishment of typologies and coastal islands, vegetation cover, coral reef cover, population density, sea level rise and high waves.
Of the parameters are then assigned a score from 1 to 5 which shows the level of vulnerability. "From the index can be known to the islands that have a high susceptibility and conducted continuous monitoring. Then develop mitigation and adaptation plans," he said.
Poverty
Faced with rising sea levels due to warming global temperatures, Alex expressed some recommendations, that is to revitalize vegetation cover on the small islands to reach the 40 percent minimum and maximum width of the infrastructure is 30 percent.
In this case the mangrove chosen because it is a plant that can withstand erosion due to onslaught of the waves. In addition to improved living coral cover and population-based economic activities environmentally-friendly marine.
Also required declaration migration program from low berdataran island to island with elevation of more than 5 meters. This is also related to the independent migration program gradually over a period of 50 years.
Meanwhile, Emil Salim expressed pengantisipasi strategy sinking islands in Indonesia.
The first strategy is to adopt technology from the Dutch dam construction. Population in this windmill country safe living for decades under the sea surface.
The second strategy to investors in coastal areas of mangrove at low tide the sea.
The third strategy is the clear expense of the island with dredge submerged rock and then dumped in the larger islands and a population. Today many small islands in Indonesia which is uninhabited because there is no fresh water source.
In addition, adaptation measures for the population, among others by developing systems of fish cultivation in the "pool" in the sea and develop algae in the coastal plantations.
"This algae can be used for other than food and paper materials can also absorb carbon dioxide," he said. For residents also need to get used to living in the marine environment, such as the Bajo tribe, "said Emil. (YUN)
Source: cetak.kompas.com
