Jakarta, JurnalPost.com — Indonesia is once again facing the irony of recurring disasters. While several volcanoes show increased activity and volcanic ash threatens residential areas, other regions must contend with forest and land fires (karhutla) that spread smoke and degrade air quality.
According to Dr. Tedy Hartono, S.H., M.C.S., these conditions should not be viewed merely as a series of natural events. These recurring disasters must serve as an evaluation of mitigation preparedness, environmental management, healthcare services, and the government's and society's ability to protect vulnerable groups.
“This phenomenon is no longer just a natural event, but a reflection that disaster mitigation management must be continuously strengthened and matured over time,” said Dr. Tedy Hartono.
Indonesia is indeed located in the Pacific Ring of Fire or the Ring of Fire. This geographical condition makes volcanic activity a natural risk that cannot be entirely eliminated.
However, according to Tedy, disaster risk does not always have to result in a high number of casualties or social losses. The impact can be reduced through strong mitigation systems, rapid information dissemination, public education, readiness of evacuation routes, and healthcare facilities capable of responding to increased public needs.
“Volcanic activity is a geographical consequence that we cannot avoid. But its impact can be minimized through strong mitigation, adequate public education, and equitable healthcare service readiness,” he said.
Forest and land fires present a different set of problems. While volcanic eruptions are related to natural geological processes, forest and land fires in many cases are linked to human activity, including land clearing and weak oversight of areas with high fire susceptibility.
According to Tedy, it is important to understand this distinction because the approaches to handling them cannot be the same.
“Unlike volcanic eruptions, which are natural processes, some forest and land fires are rooted in human activity. Therefore, prevention and oversight must receive much more serious attention,” he said.
Disaster Is Not Just About Physical Damage
The impact of disasters does not stop at damaged houses, ash-covered land, or burnt forests.
When a volcano erupts, communities in high-risk areas may be forced to leave their homes, farmland, livestock, and livelihoods. Displacement that lasts for days or even weeks has the potential to create new social problems.
Overcrowded shelters, limited clean water, sanitation issues, the interruption of children's education, and psychological stress due to uncertainty are all issues that require attention.
Forest and land fires also exert significant social and economic pressure. When smoke blankets a region, community activities are disrupted. Schools may need to adjust learning activities, travel becomes limited, air transport can be affected, and local economic activities slow down.
Daily wage workers are among the most vulnerable. Small traders may lose customers, field workers must face exposure to poor air quality, and farmers risk experiencing production disruptions.
“The impact of a disaster is not only calculated by how many houses are damaged or how many hectares of land are burned. We must also look at the disrupted lives of the community, children's education, family income, and the psychological stress of the displaced,” said Tedy.
If such disasters continue to occur repeatedly, the impact is not just a momentary loss. In the long term, communities that were already in a vulnerable economic state may find it increasingly difficult to recover their livelihoods.
Serious Threats to Health
From a public health perspective, Dr. Tedy Hartono believes that exposure to volcanic ash and smoke from forest fires requires serious attention.
Small particles in the air can enter the respiratory tract. Health risks are higher when a person is exposed for a long time or has certain pre-existing conditions.
“Behind the economic and social losses, one of the biggest threats is public health. Both volcanic ash and smoke from forest fires contain fine particles that can enter the respiratory tract and affect health, especially if exposure is continuous,” said Tedy.
Children are one of the groups that need greater protection. Their respiratory systems are still in the development stage, so exposure to poor air quality can trigger coughing, eye irritation, respiratory problems, and worsen asthma in children with a history of the disease.
Poor air quality can also limit children's physical activity and disrupt the learning process if schools or community activities have to be restricted.
In adults, exposure to dust and smoke can cause symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, eye and throat irritation, headaches, and a decrease in comfort or work productivity.
The risk is higher for workers who must be outdoors for long periods.
Meanwhile, the elderly require special attention because many have comorbidities such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, or chronic lung disease. Deteriorating air quality can exacerbate these pre-existing health conditions.
“Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with lung and heart disease must be a priority for protection. In the elderly group, for example, exposure to smoke and dust can worsen the comorbidities they already have,” he explained.
Five Steps for Health Protection
In dealing with exposure to volcanic ash or smoke from forest fires, Tedy reminds the public to take several simple protective steps.
First, use a mask with good filtration capabilities, such as an N95 or equivalent protection, especially when having to be outdoors when air quality is poor.
“Ordinary cloth masks have limited ability to filter fine particles. When exposure to ash or smoke is quite heavy, use a mask with better filtration capabilities like an N95 or equivalent,” said Tedy.
Second, limit outdoor activities. If air conditions worsen, the public is advised to reduce direct exposure and, as much as possible, stay indoors protected from smoke and dust.
Third, maintain adequate fluid intake. Consuming enough water is important to help maintain body condition and the moisture of the respiratory tract.
Fourth, protect the eyes and maintain hygiene. Using protective glasses can help reduce direct contact with dust. After being outdoors, the face, hands, and exposed parts of the body should be cleaned immediately, and clothing should be changed.
Fifth, pay attention to vulnerable groups. Infants, pregnant women, children, the elderly, and those with heart or lung disease must receive greater attention.
“If you start to experience shortness of breath, severe coughing, or a decline in physical condition, especially in vulnerable groups, do not wait until the condition worsens. Seek help at a healthcare facility immediately,” he said.
Time to Learn from Disasters
Ultimately, Indonesia cannot completely avoid the threat of natural disasters. Its geographical position and geological conditions make the risk of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and various other disasters a part of life in the archipelago.
However, the magnitude of a disaster's impact is largely determined by human preparedness in facing it.
Mitigation should not only be carried out when a volcano has erupted, when fire has burned thousands of hectares of land, or when people start filling healthcare facilities.
Prevention and preparedness must begin long before an emergency occurs.
“Disasters cannot always be prevented, but their impact can be reduced through strong leadership, consistent policies, ready public services, and community preparedness,” said Dr. Tedy Hartono.
The government needs consistent environmental oversight, effective early warning systems, ready healthcare services, inter-agency coordination, and disaster education that the public can understand.
At the same time, development should not be judged solely by economic growth and physical construction. Human safety, environmental quality, public health resilience, and a region's ability to face disasters must also be important indicators of development.
According to Tedy, every disaster should be an opportunity to evaluate weaknesses and improve systems, rather than just following the same emergency response pattern every year.
“Development should not only be oriented toward economic growth. Human safety must also be a measure of development success,” he emphasized.
When volcanic ash and smoke from fires cover the skies of the archipelago again, the question that must be answered is not just how to put out the fire or evacuate the community.
The more fundamental question is why similar tragedies still cause such a major impact every time they recur.
Tedy emphasized that a nation's ability to learn from experience is an important part of disaster mitigation.
“Natural disasters may not be stoppable. But the failure to learn from experience is a disaster that is entirely within human control,” concluded Dr. Tedy Hartono, S.H., M.C.S.
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