Expert on Future Capital City: Kalimantan the Safest from Tsunami

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tsunami expert from the Assessment and Application of Technology Agency (BPPT), Widjo Kongko, responded to the planned relocation of Indonesia’s capital city to East Kalimantan from the side of disaster mitigation.

According to him, Kalimantan Island is the safest from the severe impact of earthquake and tsunami.

“Generally, based on the history, Kalimantan Island is relatively safe from earthquake and tsunami. Balikpapan has low to medium potential [of the two],” Widjo told Tempo, on Thursday afternoon, May 9.

However, studies regarding the potential of other disasters such as flood, fire, and others are required, he added.

Earlier, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo signaled that East Kalimantan will be an option for the future capital city considering the region’s infrastructure that supported the relocation of the administrative center. Yet, in-depth study on various aspects was needed.

“We have not conducted detailed research yet, but beaches in East Kalimantan have six earthquake resources that potentially trigger a tsunami,” Widjo added, displaying a map of tsunami resources in Kalimantan Island or Makassar Strait from the 2017 Indonesia Earthquake Map.

The quake resources are North Sula Megathrust with 8.5 magnitudes, Tarakan with 7.4 magnitudes, Palukoro-Makassar with 7.1 magnitudes, North Makassar Strait with 7.1 magnitudes, Central Makassar Strait with 7.3 magnitudes, and Mamuju with 7 magnitudes.

Nevertheless, the potential tsunami wave is low to medium, ranging from 0 to 3 meters.

“Actually, each beach in Indonesia has the potential to trigger a tsunami. Beaches in East Kalimantan come from Sulawesi Strait and subduction in North Sulawesi. But the potential is low,” Widjo concluded.

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI