Officials Plan Microzoning Map for Disaster Readiness

Arientha Primanita. The Jakarta Globe, Jakarta - 31/03/2011

The city administration said on Wednesday that it would draw up a microzoning map to anticipate the impacts of disasters such as earthquakes. 

Hari Sasongko Kushadi, head of the Jakarta Building Control and Monitoring Office (P2B), said the map was needed to formulate disaster mitigation plans. 

The map will divide the city up into microzones of 150 square meters each. An inventory of the buildings and the soil condition in each zone will then be compiled. 

“That way we’ll know which areas are prone to [damage from] earthquakes,” Hari said. “So when a quake hits, the safe microzones will be designated as evacuation points for residents.” 

He said buildings considered at risk would have to be reinforced by their owners. 

The map is also expected to help authorities accurately identify sections of road affected by disasters in order to advise the public on the safest evacuation routes to take. Hari said his office was coordinating with the city’s building construction supervisory team (TPKB) and building installation advisory team (TPIB) to help draw up guidelines. 

Masyhur Irsyam, who helped revise the Public Works Ministry’s National Earthquake Map for 2011, said Jakarta remained relatively safe from powerful earthquakes compared to other areas in the country. 

He said the map showed there would be little ground acceleration in Jakarta, or localized intensity of shaking, as a result of a quake. Masyur also said buildings that would withstand a quake were those with high structural strength and good-quality materials. 

“In Jakarta, what needs to be addressed is the different soil densities,” Masyhur said. “North Jakarta has soft soil, while in the south it’s medium, so there needs to be structural adjustments.” 

Widiadnyana Merati, head of the TPKB, said he was confident tall buildings in Jakarta were quake-resistant because of their modern design and construction. 

“However, buildings lower than eight stories are at risk because many of them aren’t built to good standards,” he said. “The situation requires more intensive monitoring and enforcement by the P2B.” Proper evacuation areas needed to be marked out. “Based on international standards, hospitals and schools must be built stronger than other buildings because they can serve as evacuation sites,” he said.