At 23rd July 2008, the author and other participants of international seminar (The 5th International Workshop on Coastal Disaster Prevention) visited Samas beach to see green belt, after the seminar was held in Hyatt Yogyakarta Hotel one day before. The seminar was talked about disaster prevention in coastal area.
Back to Samas beach, the green belt which has function to detain tsunami and wind was formed of cemara udang (Casuarinas equisetifolia) trees that spread from Samas beach to Pandansimo in limited population.
This plant is firstly planted by Prof. Suhardi from Forestry Faculty of UGM, which then continued by local people. Cemara udang originated from Madura. This plant was chosen as green belt because from many types of vegetation planted before in south beach area, cemara udang was the only tree that can survives. This plant is cultivated through cutting or shoot. Cemara udang has a strong stem and many branches; this was the reason why cemara udang can sturdily detain wave and wind. Within age of 5-6 years, this plant was strong enough to detain tsunami wave. This plant’s height can achieve 15 meters. Survivability of this plant is categorized into good because although it is supplied with minim water, but it can survive well. Spacing of this plant was also possible to bunch up, as long still under water. Beside that, this plant also contributed to decrease the impacts of global warming. Cemara udang also capable to keep salt in order to not reach the land, thus soil and sand located behind this plant are suitable to cultivate for agriculture in sandy area. Before planted with cemara udang, plants planted in sandy area such as red onion, peanut, and soybean were unevenly spreads stacked by strong wind from the beach.
Back to Samas beach, the green belt which has function to detain tsunami and wind was formed of cemara udang (Casuarinas equisetifolia) trees that spread from Samas beach to Pandansimo in limited population.This plant is firstly planted by Prof. Suhardi from Forestry Faculty of UGM, which then continued by local people. Cemara udang originated from Madura. This plant was chosen as green belt because from many types of vegetation planted before in south beach area, cemara udang was the only tree that can survives. This plant is cultivated through cutting or shoot. Cemara udang has a strong stem and many branches; this was the reason why cemara udang can sturdily detain wave and wind. Within age of 5-6 years, this plant was strong enough to detain tsunami wave. This plant’s height can achieve 15 meters. Survivability of this plant is categorized into good because although it is supplied with minim water, but it can survive well. Spacing of this plant was also possible to bunch up, as long still under water. Beside that, this plant also contributed to decrease the impacts of global warming. Cemara udang also capable to keep salt in order to not reach the land, thus soil and sand located behind this plant are suitable to cultivate for agriculture in sandy area. Before planted with cemara udang, plants planted in sandy area such as red onion, peanut, and soybean were unevenly spreads stacked by strong wind from the beach.
Cemara udang also can improve beauty of the beach; its dense is very beautiful. When the author came into its dense, the author feels amazed; unfortunately its population is minim. As we know that this vegetation has many benefits, then the government must pay more attention to its population, maintenance, and of course its survival.
After sight seeing cemara udang, we also saw agriculture area behind the green belt. Then, we went to Depok beach for lunch.
The journey then continued to Nglepen village to see anti-earthquake houses that very unique. Its form is similar to igloo, Eskimo’s house. These houses were built by NGOs from America named Domes for the World in order to help people in Nglepen village due to earthquake attacked Jogja in 27th May 2006. Because of this earthquake, land in Nglepen village, Sumberharjo, Prambanan, Sleman was shifted to form an indent like a canyon with depth approximately of 6 meters. This caused severe damage on houses in Nglepen village, even there were many houses mired in soil.
The ‘teletubbies’ houses (many people said like this because form of the house is similar to teletubbies’ house, a kid serial on television) were made from concrete. From sites read by the author on the web, the benefit of this house is more stabile thus more strong, more easy and faster to build, more economical, thus this house if cheaper than the cost to build a house in common.
