There Isn’T Completely A Weather Crisis, But A Social One

Some people argue that global warming and the La Nina effect are the cause of severe weather here. They contribute to some devastation that places such as Jakarta face. However, the truth is that the extreme level of damage and deaths seen there are caused by these things in only a fraction. Settlements established are often in unideal areas behind seawalls that offer little protection. People settled here are mostly working class with little to no means of getting to high ground where locals say the “rich” live. It reminds me of statistics in our America. The poor remain poor, the rich remain rich. Many locals are illegal and some aren’t. These are obstacles that too many cannot escape. As one article stated, this isn’t completely a weather crisis, but a social one. The government’s intentions to relocate people from danger to protect and preserve life seem moral, however, the process isn’t. They gave people little to no time to prepare, no choice, and neglected to announce plans, let alone discuss the options to decrease tragedy. One woman was given only four months’ notice and when she refused to leave (having legal titles/rights), they pushed past her, bulldozing her home. I believe we all have a right to make a choice. If her home was acquired and maintained legally, she should’ve been given the choice to stay or sell.

The government’s plans to ensure safety included reinforcing the seawall by replacing it and creating a 300 miles chain of islands to act as a barrier to the mainland. Seems legit, except the locals were against it for good reason. The lower-class survive often by fishing. The government was caught in the early stages of creating these islands when fishermen were getting stuck in areas they usually had no problems getting through. This provides reasonable doubt about the government’s concerns. Emergencies related to this sequence of events cannot be addressed at once, rather, one after another. Providing communities with the option of relocating is a good place to start. Also allowing discussions pertaining to solutions as well as better compensation and living quarters to sustain them until they can get back on their feet. The chain of islands needs to be paid for some way, but perhaps offering a small portion to the locals would be a good way to ease discomfort, allowing a sort of stakeholder position. As for those who need to help, I believe that more heads create better ideas and generate better solutions. I absolutely believe the United States has an ethic responsibility to help the government come up with better solutions and assist in implementing them. The research I’ve done suggests that the U. S. is in the habit of responding to disasters in Indonesia such as volcanic activity and earthquakes to torrential rains and landslides (Indonesia: Disaster Response and Risk Reduction, 2014).