Development and Disaster for the Environment

     Our earth is currently experiencing serious problems in connection with disasters occurring in the environment. Among the problems that often occur, environmental problems are the main one. This happens because of increasing population and poverty; not only that, the causes of environmental damage include the destruction of natural habitats, the extinction of various kinds of plants and animals, the greenhouse effect and global warming, as well as the depletion of natural resources and increasing population displacement.
From the various problems that have occurred, one can imagine how heavy the problems faced by this earth are, caused by natural destruction due to the continually increasing human population, air pollution and the increasing consumption demand for natural resources. Meanwhile, the technology that exists today has not been able to overcome the problems that are increasing. Many people argue that these problems occur because of development carried out without paying attention to the state of the natural environment and its sustainability. 
The infrastructure development currently taking place in Indonesia is one of the means that can improve the welfare of the people. This development is one of the first steps taken by the government to expand the economy in Indonesia. It can make all kinds of activities easier, both between regions and between provinces. 
This development process also gives rise to various problems, among them that every year deforestation is estimated to cover an area of around 3,180,243 hectares. This changes the quality of the environment for the worse, because land that was once beautiful turns into industrial areas that may cause water, soil and air pollution due to the hazardous waste produced by factories. In addition, there is also the extinction of various rare plant and animal species. Natural disasters such as landslides, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis often occur, caused by large-scale land clearing.
Development processes that involve the environment also bring about various impacts, both positive and negative, on the environment. This happens because of a lack of attention from the parties concerned, who only think about how all the processes that have been carried out can become an effort towards a better life, without thinking about what impacts could result from the infrastructure process. 
The development that the government always mentions is indeed carried out to meet the needs of its people. But it actually creates new problems such as those mentioned above. The government should also have thought carefully about what impacts could result from this ever-increasing development process. 
In fact, the concept of this development is still very far from what is hoped for. In creating this concept, attention should also be paid to whether it takes into account the needs of future generations; it is true that the development carried out is solely to meet all the needs of humans at present. Yet its implementation is still quite difficult for a developing country such as Indonesia. 
All of these problems need to be addressed seriously and followed up with further action. Even if not all of the problems are eventually solved, at least action has been taken and solutions found as to how to try to keep the condition of the earth from getting worse. In this regard, the government can also make a contribution in dealing with these problems.
The government can start by involving the community in protecting and restoring the environment by replanting empty land and carrying out reforestation. In addition, the government also needs to issue laws on regulating land use, the basic provisions for managing the environment, and on providing environmental outreach to the community. These efforts also need to be carried out as a joint contribution with the community in order to achieve a harmonious relationship between the community, the government and the environment.