managing volcanic hazards- indonesia Flashcards
how badly has Indonesia been impacted by volcanic activity
it has experienced more fatalities and damage to infrastructure than any other country
how high is mount merapi
3000m high
what are three short term management strategies
- an exclusion zone of 20km was established around the volcano
- Indonesian Disaster Management Agency mobilised volunteers, police and the military to circulate information and set up make shift hospitals and kitchens
- international aid was offered by governments and NGOs such as the red cross and red crescent
what were three long-term mitigation strategies
- 2,682 people were made to move to new, safer houses permanently
- the government’s $11m scheme
- an ongoing exclusion zone of 2.5km was implemented to ensure that residents were in safer areas
what is the organisation that drives volcano monitoring in Indonesia and when was it established
Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation which was established in 1920
how many volcanoes are monitored in Indonesia out of how many active ones
today 60 volcanoes are monitored out of a total of 127 active volcanoes
describe how the 2016 eruption at mount merapi was anticipated
on 22nd October, scientists recognised that the volcano was having excessive gas emissions and ground movements. All available satellites were tasked to track the lava dome at the summit, which allowed deadly pyroclastic flows to be forecasted.
what is an example of how monitoring saved lives during the eruption
on the 4th november 2016, the centre for volcanology and geological hazards mitigation called for evacuation to be extended to 20km from the summit. just hours later, the most deadly pyroclastic flow of the entire eruption extended 15km south.
explain how culture has acted as a barrier to managing hazards at mount merapi
many local residents believe in spiritual entities at the summit of the volcano, believing that this controls its activity which gives a false sense of security that the volcano is safer than it actually is
explain a socioeconomic obstacle
agriculture accounts for 14% of indonesia’s gdp, meaning that it is difficult to deter farmers from living around the summit as they depend of the extra- fertile soil for their livelihood.
give an example of when culture was significant barrier from mitigating losses from an eruption of merapi
in 2006, officials warned a local village approximately 5km from the summit to evacuate due to a level 5 alert. however, locals had such a deep spiritual connection with the volcano that they believed it would provide further warnings before erupting so they refused to leave.
explain a new social norm that is helping to mitigate losses from volcanic activity
in Yogyakarta, locals have adopted wearing masks to prevent damage from inhaling ash
what is an example of modifying the event at merapi
local river channels have been cleared of volcanic material and other debris to reduce the risk of lahars
