Indonesia has a variable climate, with mostly tropical weather. The humidity of the Island is quite high, with always a high level of humidity. The areas can have extreme levels of rainfall during the months form September to November. Indonesia has frequent tropical storms (like monsoons) because of the wet climate and high temperature. The monsoonal seasons are there because the Island goes through dry and wet times during the year.

Typhoons which hit the Islands can cause extreme winds and heavy rainfall. The western and Northern parts of Indonesia experience the most rainfall since the monsoons are very heavy with moisture by the time they reach these areas.

Although, Indonesia experiences these rapid changes in climate and weather, but typhoons are not always devasting, sometimes they are only on a small scale and few in between. The only recommendations that can really be made is wear proper clothing and keep umbrellas for sudden outbursts of rainfall.

http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/archive/super-extreme-weather-is-the-worst-on-record/

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/climate/Indonesia.htm

Sinkholes and Soil Subsidence

Sinkholes can be a major problem where the ground underneath contains weak rock such as limestone and salt beds. These types of rock are easily dissolved by groundwater. Sinkholes are dangerous because the groundwater will erode the rock and create spaces which will not show above ground until the spaces are too big, and the ground will suddenly collapse.

 Source: Indonesia.Net

 

 

 

In Indonesia, there are sinkholes and large amounts of soil subsidence. Jakarta has an alarming rate of it's coastal soil subsidence at about 20 cm per year. A lot of the causes of sinkholes in Indonesia are man-made from the extreme extraction of groundwater. The ground does not have time to replenish itself in time for the rock to not sink. Larger areas such as Sumatra and Java do have emergency steps, but only to stay away from sinkholes in the case that one is created. The main problems are that the land is being heavily used for farming that the land is not meant for.

 

 

Sources:

 

http://www.gim-international.com/issues/articles/id499-Land_Subsidence_in_Urban_Areas_of__Indonesia.html

 

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/sinkholes.html







Mass Wasting in Indonesia

The deterioration of hillsides and downhill movement are all considered mass wasting. This phenenomen can occur at a rapid rate, or can occur extremely slowly. Landslides can destroy communities and take lives.



In Indonesia, there are many earthquake occurences, which will move the earth material. There are also volcanic eruptions and tsunamis which devastate the land, which in turn all these geologic disasters shape the land, especially it's hills and slopes. In Indonesia, many landslides are devastating people and their homes. In December of 2014, a massive landslide in Central Java buried a village and killed 70 people. According the Indonesian Natural Disaster Authority, landslides claimed 248 lives due to landslides in the last year alone.

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A reason for so many landslides is that the population continues to increase, resulting in changes of land use, deforestation, and the addition of more roads. The soil cannot keep up with these changes, causing a loosening in the soil, and the heavy rainfall doesn't help either.


The Indonesian Natural Disaster Authority believes that that constant changing of substidence crops and change of land use is what is the main  cause of the landslides. Although, the prevention of these disasters seem to have a low priority, since Indonesia suffers from Volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and earthquakes. Many people who live near these high risk hills and slopes are not eager to leave their homes, so many people will remain near these places until and really bad landslide hits.

Sources:

http://www.asianscientist.com/2015/01/features/landslides-indonesias-worst-nightmare/

http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/?s=indonesia+landslides&mswhere=blog&submit.x=0&submit.y=0