Disaster awareness in the Bandung Basin

KOMPAS/MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA

Local tourists enjoy the scenery at Tebing Keraton in Cimenyan district, Bandung regency, West Java, on Jan. 11 (11/1/2020). The tourism site sits on the Lembang fault, about 21 kilometers from a fault in Ngamprah district, West Java regency.

Bandung Basin’s popularity as a tourist destination is undisputed. The region has always attracted visitors with its charms. More recently, calls for improving disaster awareness have been rising in tourist sites.

Yani, 25, of Banjaran in Bandung regency, West Java, has long waited for Jan. 11 to arrive. For a long time, the factory worker has dreamt of going to the wildly popular Tebing Keraton in West Bandung, around 15 kilometers away from downtown Bandung. She wants to prove people’s claims that Bandung looks stunningly beautiful when viewed from the location.

That morning, she found out that the claim was true. While sitting cross-legged near the viewing area amid the morning fresh air, she saw swaths of green hills and an urban concrete jungle.

Yani also gained new knowledge. From the information board, she learnt that Tebing Keraton is located right on top of the Lembang Fault, a disaster-prone zone in West Java.

The Lembang Fault stretches 29 km long from Ngamprah district in West Bandung to Mt. Bukittunggul in Cilengkrang, Bandung regency. The tectonic fault moves around 3 millimeters per year.

If both sides of the fault move concurrently, the energy can trigger a 7.0-magnitude earthquake. According to Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) data, the last huge earthquake in the region occurred in around the 16th century and in 60 BC.

“So far, I’ve only heard about this from the media. I cannot believe that the potential disaster can reach magnitude-7. That is so dangerous,” Yani said.

The information board was installed by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on April 26, 2019. It aims to educate tourists in a “popular science” way while they are awed by the beautiful views.

KOMPAS/MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA

A visitor observes an information board at Tebing Keraton in Cimenyan district, Bandung regency, West Java, on Jan. 11 (11/1/2020). The tourism site sits on the Lembang fault, about 21 kilometers from a fault in Ngamprah district, West Java regency.

This is an important evolution in the tourism approach at Tebing Keraton. More than just about enjoying natural beauties, tourism can also be used to remind people about the risks and dangers of potential natural disasters. Data from the West Java statistics agency showed that the Greater Bandung area received 9.88 million tourists in 2016.

LIPI geotechnology research center head Eko Yulianto said the earthquake cycle at Lembang Fault was between 170 years and 670 years. It is estimated that the latest accumulation of earthquakes is at 560 years.

Nevertheless, earthquakes remain unpredictable. Therefore, everyone must be prepared for potential earthquakes at the Lembang Fault, which put more than 3 million lives in danger.

Eko explained that not only was the earthquake’s epicenter located near the city of Bandung, the Greater Bandung area’s geography of soil and soft sedimentation from an ancient lake also made the region prone to earthquake tremors.

A 2017 study by Ayu Retnowati, Irwan Meilano, Akhmad Riqqi and Rahma Hanifa of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) found that economic losses from a Lembang Fault earthquake could reach Rp 51 trillion (US$3.73 billion). This calculation only includes losses from damaged homes.

The calculation shows that around 2.5 million homes may be affected, including 1 million homes sustaining light damage, 500,000 homes sustaining heavy damages and 1 million homes sustaining moderate damages (Kompas, 10/1/2019).

Refreshing memory

With such a huge disaster risk, public memory on historical disasters must be refreshed. Other than warning signs, Eko said that LIPI also planned to build eight observation stations along the fault. Every station will be equipped with three fault movement measurers.

This can provide actual data to help policymakers address public concerns whenever earthquakes occur.

The observation results will be used as reference to make a picture of the Lembang Fault’s condition. This can provide actual data to help policymakers address public concerns whenever earthquakes occur.

This will complement existing mitigation efforts, such as installing warning signs on the road between Bandung and Lembang, which goes over the fault. The signs will read “You Will Pass over the Lembang Fault in 50 Meters”.

“Tourists will be welcomed to visit the Lembang Fault observation station, which will provide information on [the fault’s] history in simple yet interesting ways. [The station will be located] near the Kampung Daun and Tebing Keraton tourist attractions. Hopefully, it can be an interesting, educational tourist destination,” Eko said.

The presence of information boards and an earthquake observation system is hoped to protect the Lembang Fault from tourist sites, which lack disaster mitigation. West Bandung disaster mitigation agency’s (BPBD) prevention and preparedness division head Agus Rudianto said the government and stakeholders should consider various aspects before turning the Lembang Fault into a tourist destination.

Disaster risk awareness must be nurtured. Cici, 60, a resident of Ciburial village in Cimenyan district, Bandung regency, is one example. She had just realized that her home, located around 500 meters from Tebing Keraton, was within the Lembang Fault zone.

Thus far, she only knew Tebing Keraton as a popular place among nature lovers and mountain bikers.

“Old community tales never mentioned anything about earthquakes or landslides. Hopefully, starting from now, more people will understand this,” she said.

In an age of widespread internet access, people must be able to obtain and spread information rapidly. With better understanding of risks, the adverse impacts of disasters can be reduced. It is no different in the Bandung Basin.