Sumatra(The COW News Digital)Over 700 lives have been lost in Sumatra following severe floods and landslides, marking the island’s deadliest disaster since the 2004 tsunami. While torrential rains triggered the calamity, experts point to widespread deforestation as a major factor amplifying the destruction.
According to Reuters, the rapid clearance of forests across Sumatra has weakened the terrain, making it highly susceptible to landslides and catastrophic flooding. Environmental scientists say that while climate change has contributed to extreme weather, the large-scale removal of trees has exponentially increased the disaster’s impact.
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Local residents have voiced frustration and anger, blaming “reckless hands” for the crisis. Relewati Siregar, a 62-year-old resident at a temporary shelter, said, “Some mischievous hands are cutting down trees without caring for the forests, and now we are paying the price. Rain alone could not have toppled so many trees.”
Siregar’s remarks reflect widespread concern over the loss of forest cover. Many residents reported that the floods carried massive tree trunks along with debris, destroying homes and infrastructure. The combination of heavy rainfall and weakened slopes caused mudslides that swept through villages, exacerbating casualties.
Local authorities echo these concerns. Gas Erawan Pasaribu, a community leader in the Tapunoli district, stated that if forests had been preserved, the damage would not have been so severe. He added that warnings had been sent to relevant government departments about logging licenses in vulnerable areas, but these were largely ignored.
Data indicates that in the last two decades, millions of hectares of forest in northern Sumatra have been cleared, accelerating the island’s environmental degradation. Conservationists warn that while severe storms in the region are natural, maintaining forest cover is critical to mitigating human and economic losses.
The ongoing disaster highlights the complex interplay between natural and human-made factors. While climate change has intensified storms across Asia, the rapid deforestation of Sumatra has turned these events into catastrophic tragedies, leaving communities devastated and sparking calls for immediate environmental action.
Authorities and experts are now urging stricter regulation and sustainable management of remaining forests to prevent similar disasters in the future.
