Climate Change Hinders Rammang-Rammang Development as Tourist Attraction

TheIndonesia.co - Locals admitted that climate change is making it difficult to develop karst zone Rammang-Rammang as a leading tourist destination.

The karst zone, located in Berua village, Maros regency, South Sulawesi has been designated to be a new top tourist destination in Indonesia, but climate change that has been becoming more and more unpredictable is making it difficult for stakeholders to realize their vision.

Head of neighborhood in Berua village Darwis said that locals are finding it difficult to predict the weather, and the karst area has been flooded three times this year.

In addition to more frequent flood, locals also experience rapid river overflow, increasing rainfall intensity, and changing water acidity.

“Change has been happening. Previously, there would be flood after five days of rain, but these days, it only takes three hours of rain to submerge everything,” Darwis said on Monday, March 21, as reported by Antara.

Prior to this, residents of Berua village used to anticipate high rainfall during the New Year and Chinese New Year, but they can no longer be their standard.

Besides climate change, people in the village believe that a number of policies made by the authorities worsen the situation.

The narrowing Pute River, siltation of river, a number of projects with poor management around the tourism area, and the construction of the Bosowa bridge are among some of the causes behind the frequent flood.

“So when there are national project, they think it will create only a few changes, when in fact, it creates long-lasting impacts,” Darwis continued, adding that the bridge construction has been impacting the river.

According to him, four years ago, river in Bantimurung area was rehabilitated, and it resulted in increased river flow into the estuary, so it overflew faster than usual.

Furthermore, climate crisis also impacts water acidity in Berua, which usually rose around June. Recently, water acidity increases in around October or November, and it causes longer period of freshwater.

Rain intensity and unpredictable season has also been impacting fish farming in the area. As a result, locals are considering to start the farming of freshwater fish due to the low acidity of pond water. It will also be utilized to be a tourist destination and support tourism industry in the area.

Head of environmental office in South Sulawesi Andi Nur Hasbi confirmed that extreme weather has been occurring in the province and contribute to the frequent flood.

“Generally, rainfall intensity is increasing, but we’re unable to measure it because it happened based on zone,” Hasbi explained.

Rammang-Rammang in South Sulawesi is famous of its karst hills, and it’s also where the world’s oldest hand stencil was found. Inside a cave and on its surface, visitors can find old hand stencils and paintings, and the oldest one, in fact, dates back to 39,900 years ago, according to study.