Community Participation to Protect Them from Flood

Floods, they always comes in the rainy season, and hundreds of subdistricts in dozens of provinces have suffered such disaster.  Interestingly, the worst floods occurred in Jakarta, our capital city,  when rainfall in Jakarta and other areas in Indonesia was at its highest recently. However, other higher areas which should not have been threatened by potential floods, they also have similar experience as  Jakarta had.

People always blame the harsh climates or the climates change that has resulted the flood disasters. But actually those were not the main reason,  as it’s described by the inventor of the technology Lubang Resapan Biopori  (LRB – Bio pore holes  ), Dr. Kamir Pariadin Broto of Bogor Agricultural University in his presentation for Siaran Pedesaan RRI Bogor (Rural Press), on 16 January 2012.

"Rain falls and floods inundate – these are common facts of life in most regions of our beloved country. We do not preserve the water, but we cascade away  to the sea (through the river)," stated Dr.  Kamir. We should utilize the water and preserve them in the soil not thrown away. Formerly, the soil could do its function to absorb the water into the soil well, but it is no longer do its function as the topsoils have been covered by concrete or other hard coatings.

"To help the soil absorbing the water, the best method is to build infiltration wells, which is the most suitable option for urban areas," he said. Ir Kamir explains, Bio pore is alternative technology for absorbing rain water beside the absorbing well. 

Every person who live in various soil types are certainly capable to build infiltration wells, Bio pore holes. They can use a drill to build a hole with a diameter of 10 cm, with a depth of about 1 meter, "he said. According to Dr. Kamir, these technologies utilize the micro-organisms in the ground." Bio pore can be called "The Palace for worm" although its dweller is not only worm, but because the organic content is rubbish, so it will stimulate small animals, such as ant, worm, termites come into the hole and making bio pore as small tunnels, so that the water can be absorbed soon,"he said.. (Wied).