Four ‘Easy-Socialized’ Steps to Make A Sustainable Development in Earth

Sustainable development is a process in which decision makers assess the social, environmental and economic aspects of any action or decision to make sure that the outcomes are as sustainable as possible. As this world grows with so many issues related to the sustainable development, we as a human have to react for what we have. We are now facing many problems that related to sustainability, such as climate change, wars, and many more. This has to be solved urgently and adequately. We are briefly to make solutions to this earth so that we can live peacefully. As the citizen who lived in this world, the key to maintain the sustainability is placed upon ourselves.. The simple thing that i can do as a citizen to save this earth is undertsand myself as part of the problem. If you don’t understand yourself as part of the problem, you cannot be part of the solution. The problems happen because of our own behavior, our own failure to protect our nature from our greedy hands who exploit the nature too much. This world is dying because of us. As the next generation, i have to understand my role as a citizen, creating a mindset in my mind that i have to be the triggers to encourage people near me to make them understand about sustainable development.

The first thing that i will do is focus on socialisation. I have to explain  what is sustainable development and its importance. The socialisation will be more innovative by giving them a role play with scenarios related to the earth’s latest problem, such as transportation and climate change. A person will have an argument with others and persuade them, so they can be encouraged to make sustainable act to the world. The aim of this socialisation is to make them understand of the role that they play and can play in sustainable development processes to make action or decisions

The next thing that i will do is make a campaign. As the citizen, i have to be actively involve in any action to support the sustainablity of this world.  The campaign will be about development issues which related to the Millenium Development Goals. By tackling development issues, we create the perspective of each people to make innovations on how MDGs can solve the sustainity. This is could be the expression and opinion from one to another. The campaign will be conducted with social and communication tools and media. As the growth of technology, there are so many useful social media that can be use to promote the ‘Sustainable Development’ campaign. I will make it more interesting by addresing this campaign to stakeholders, governments, students, youths, and many more. By this campaign, i will create the platform for everyone to demonstrate their knowledgE, understanding about sustainable development, envisioning alternative ways of development and living,  and evaluating alternative visions

The Third, i will make the sustainable communities group who will have a partnership with governments, leaders, stakeholders, and another authority. My investment is in youths. They are key innovators and thought leaders not only of tomorrow but right now. We have an important responsibility to empower them to. Young people are the most aware about the problems. The youths should be recognized as the people who can make a change to this planet. I will invite more youths to give education to citizen. My target is to have audiences with government and evaluate their policy in development.

                The last, act sustainity. As the citizen, i have to show how i support the sustainable by behaving righfully. There are many ways to do that, such as choose the green transportation, like choosing cycling rather than using motorcycles or cars, it will reduce our own CO₂ emission,  then use water properly, throw rubbishes in the thrash can, reduce your plastics and many more. Actually this is the most simple thing that every people can do in their life. At least, i am  the pioneer of my self and i can be reminder to everyone to do the same thing like me to save the world.

Indonesia “A Land of Natural Disasters Tragedy”

Indonesia  “A Land of Natural Disasters Tragedy”

Indonesia, a multi-ethnic archipelago country of more than 17.000 islands, located between two continents, Asia and Australia and within the Indian and Pacific oceans, is one of many countries which has a lot of problems regarding the natural disasters. Indonesia is disposed to natural catastrophes because its islands rest on the edges of the Pacific, Eurasian, and Australian tectonic plates. Moreover, with the country’s climate that is predominantly tropical and characterized by extreme weather pattern, the risks of natural hazards in Indonesia remains alarmingly high. Indonesia is subject to frequent natural disasters. Due to its location, Indonesia will always be prone to natural disasters and its people are always at risk. Citizens of Indonesia always be haunted by upcoming natural disasters. Most of Indonesians are now believing that there is no more safety places in Indonesia to protect them from the disasters. This is trully a misleading mindset of them. Actually, the causes of disasters are mostly done by human. It’s not argued anymore that human play an important role in changing environmental condition.

As the expansive development began in early 1970’s, Indonesia has lost more than 60% of forests area in lowlands. Since that time, we have changed our coverage lands.  There are many more forests have been cutted down to build settlements, manufacturing, and another buildings. We are explorating too much to this country!! . Yes, that’s the true. We are still a developing country. With the total area more than 5 million km², Indonesia can be categorized as a big country, with highly human resources it leads into the high demands of basical needed. To fulfill their basic neededs, the natural resources are one of the solutions that easily to get. The problems are too much exploitations, less attention to the environment condition. This is the main factor why Indonesia suffers many disasters.

On average, every year nearly half of Indonesia’s districts experience at least one natural disaster and many experience multiple disasters. Is there any prevention or preparedness? Yes, there are so many of it! In every single disaster came, Indonesian Government and local government react to this. Make plentiful of new regulations regadring the disasters. Increasing the people’s mindset about how to protect the natural environment and many more. Natural disasters have reshaped Indonesia’s approach to disaster response and preparedness, and made communities more resilient. But, it’s just a little fact with a little understanding from a little group of people. Is it sustain? We have to think about it again. Indonesia is not a country where people are ready and well prepared for disatsters.  There are two impacts of disasters: Economically and psychologically. In terms of Indonesia’s economy, natural catastrophes damage property and stop economic activity, which consequently result in significant financial loss for the people. Furthermore, the series of natural disasters create more burden on the national budget to finance post-disaster rehabilitation. (Jakarta Post, 2010)

Some of big natural disasters that have ever happened in Indonesia are floods, tsunami, earthquakes, and eruptions. First is floods. Floods in Indonesia could happened because of so many deforestations. Not just it, with more than 200 millions of population, Indonesians need settlement and more infrastructures, so they cutted down the forest, it can also called as deforestation, and make it as a built up area. Now, we are lack of trees which can absorb the incoming water from rain. Indonesia's rainy season (which runs from December to March) can bring plenty of rainfall. In combination with deforestation and waterways clogged with debris, it can cause rivers to overflow and result in floods. We can take Jakarta city as an example. Every year, they suffers flood with many deficits. We can see that many citizens in Jakarta build their houses near the river. Actually, we have a rule that we can build house with the range of 15 meters from the river’s border, but in Jakarta, the rule is nothing! . But this is not totally the mistake of Jakarta, Bogor as a ‘rain city’ is a key of this problem. Bogor nowadays is lack of forests, especially in Puncak Bogor. The forests have turned into a villa, housings, and many more. No forest mean no water absorbtion, the water from Bogor flow until Jakarta’s river and it is overflow.

Second one is Tsunami. Perhaps the most tragic experience has been that of Indonesia. In 2004, Indonesia lost over 200,000 people when a tsunami swept into Aceh – most people remember the moment they heard and saw the news of the East Asia tsunami.  A few months later, Nias was devastated by an earthquake. A little more than a year later, over 6,000 people in Java lost their lives in earthquakes and tsunamis. In 2010, Mount Merapi erupted, destroying houses and habitats barely recovering from the last disaster.  Because of Indonesia’s location in a geologically active part of the world, it will always be prone to natural disasters, and its people will always be at risk (World Bank, 2012). On average, once every five years a large tsunami happens in Indonesia, usually on the islands of Sumatra and Java. Generally, damage to the infrastructure exceeds the loss of lives. There are warning systems installed on many coastal areas but there have been reports that not all are functioning properly.

Third is Earthquake. Being located on the Pacific Ring of Fire (an area with a lot of tectonic activity), Indonesia has to cope with the constant risk of earthquakes. The biggest earthquake that happened in Indonesia are in Aceh Province, after that earthquake, tsunami came and swallow everything near the coasts.

The last one is Eruption caused by Volcanoes. Indonesia is the country that contains the most active volcanoes of all countries in the world. The Eurasian Plate, Pacific Plate and Indo-Australian Plate are three active tectonic plates that cause the subduction zones that form these volcanoes. Indonesia is estimated to have 129 volcanoes, all carefully observed by the Centre of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi), because a number of Indonesian volcanoes show continuous activity.

                As the citizen of Indonesia, how can we prevent this harmly natural disasters?? Actually we can’t prevent it, but we can be prepared for this natural disasters and we have to reduce the damage caused by those disasters. Why?? First look into ourselves and realize that we need natural resources and they are provided to us so we can use it properly, but not exploit them too much. We have to take care of our environment no matter what. To save this and next generations. We always count on government’s act, but we have to take our own act to keep our environment alive. Over the past decades, there are lack of people pay attention to this problem, but since there are another issues about global warming, now many people react to save the world. It is not too late to make this world sustain for long terms. We have to raise more societal awareness. Therefore, the only choice we have is to prepare ourselves for the worst scenario and raise community awareness about the disasters. The state has to provide a reliable and appropriate disaster evacuation system and infrastructure. The government also needs to start listening to experts that have advised on potential disasters we face. If we do not take fundamental actions and responsibility, dealing with natural disasters will be more complicated in the future and we will be unable to prevent a huge loss of life.