Jakarta, Aug. 26 -- Ecological disasters in Indonesia are not caused solely by extreme weather but are significantly worsened by poor land management, a Gadjah Mada University (UGM) expert said here Wednesday.

Prof. Junun Sartohadi, head of UGM's Land Resource Management Study Center, said authorities and communities often focus on assigning blame rather than taking scientifically sound mitigation measures.

"Extreme events are often blamed on land conditions. We become busy looking for who is responsible, while forgetting who should take action," he said.

Junun said environmental changes are driven by geodynamic factors and climate fluctuations. Extreme weather will naturally trigger disasters, but their impacts can be reduced through ...