By Changemakers.net
with reporting by Eka Budianta

Indonesia, the world's most earthquake-prone country, is frequented by natural disasters, ranging from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tidal waves, to floods, mudslides and severe droughts. Typically, the Indonesian government has responded to disasters by evacuating the affected communities, and later attempting to force them to migrate to another region of the country – rather than planning ahead for disasters and training residents to be prepared.

 Merapi volcano

Since the Merapi volcano in central Java erupted in 1994, volcanologist Eko Teguh Paripurno has sought a better way, by training communities near the volcano – and other communities at high risk of natural disaster – to prepare for, respond to, and recover quickly from natural disasters. While numerous reports have criticized the Indonesian government's response to disasters, Teguh, age 39, has launched the first organization to help affected communities manage disasters and recover.

At the same time, Teguh is working with local governments to change their attitudes and policies regarding natural resource management, in order to prevent future disasters that result from the misuse of resources. He is advocating "risk management" to prevent disasters caused by misuse of natural resources.

Merapi Speaks

After participating in search and rescue activities for victims of the November 22, 1994 eruption of Merapi, Teguh and some of his friends visited survivors and documented the human toll of the disaster. Merapi means "Fire Mountain." It is the most volatile volcano on Indonesia's large island of Java, which – with 600 people per square kilometer – has one of the highest population densities in the world.

Merapi has erupted 68 times since 1548. One of the worst blasts was in 1930, when more than 1,000 people were killed. Because of Merapi's violent past and its location just 20 miles north of the city of Yogyakarta (population 3 million), it is classified one of the world's "Decade Volcanoes" by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, which means it requires special study.

Merapi has the unfortunate distinction of producing more nuee ardentes than any other volcano on Earth. This refers to highly heated masses of gas-charged ash that are expelled by a volcano with explosive force and move at hurricane speeds up to 70 mph down the mountainside like glowing avalanches.

Nuee ardentes occur when the lava dome at the summit of a mountain collapses. Merapi's lava dome is much like the dome inside Mount St. Helens in Washington State.

The most recent series of eruptions began in 1987. Merapi's dome collapsed in November 1994, sending a plume six miles high and generated rock and ash flows and surges that extended up to five miles from the summit. This caused fires and evacuation of more than 6,000 people.

Merapi volcano erupts

Afer the eruption, Teguh counted 92 victims: 68 died and one person was never recovered. Many of the injured suffered severe burns from the hot gases. With his friends, Teguh compiled a moving pocket book entitled Merapi Bertutur, or "Merapi Speaks," published with help from Oxfam on the fifth year anniversary of the disaster, November 22, 1999.

Visiting Villages, Scaling Summits

Teguh chose to study geology at university because he knew that it would allow him to pursue his love of the outdoors. As a student, he was a leader in nature lovers' and mountaineering clubs. After Teguh graduated with a major in volcanology, he and several friends helped established the Community of Nature Lovers and Environment Watchers (KAPPALA) – an organization devoted to defending the environment and strengthening community participation in this effort.

Teguh lives with his wife, Ninuk Retno Raras, a conservationist and writer, and two sons in a northern section of Yogyakarta, less than 15 miles from Mt. Merapi. A muscular and strong man by Javanese standards, Teguh found that when he climbed the summits of volcanic mountains that span the length of Java, he preferred spending time in the village communities along the way.

When the mountain erupted in 1994, Teguh and KAPPALA participated in search and rescue operations. They recognized the many shortcomings of the government's disaster relief programs.

Despite the scope and number of potential disasters in Indonesia, the Indonesian government does not plan in advance for disasters, does not provide adequate early warning systems, and does not prepare infrastructure to efficiently and effectively respond to the disasters. Without this advance planning, the focus of the Indonesian government's response to natural disasters has always been emergency relief and evacuation.

Traditionally, the government evacuates all communities that are affected, or might be affected, by a natural disaster regardless of the different circumstances in each disaster. They are relocated to temporary barracks for several months, often without adequate food and water or resources to earn an income.

In some cases, individuals are then relocated to nearby towns and given a house but no land to farm, even though farming has always been their source of livelihood. In other cases, individuals are relocated to other islands and given a piece of land, but often this land is too small or of poor quality.

The government unilaterally decides which areas should be evacuated, with no input from local communities or community organizations. The result is that evacuations are not targeted and are usually much broader than necessary. This uniform approach to disaster relief, regardless of the nature of the disaster, fails to take into account communities' different needs and the potential for the people to return to, and repair, their home areas.

Resource Management or Exploitation?

Compounding Indonesia's vulnerability to natural disasters, human misuse of resources is often the cause of environmental damage that leads to the disasters. While academics have discussed the importance of better resource management techniques by local governments, there has been little focus on changing the attitudes and policies of local governments toward resource management.

For example, hillside forests that are overly cut can result in damaging mudslides. Topsoil degraded by years of chemical fertilizer and pesticide use becomes porous and is easily swept away by erosion.

Coral reefs that protect coastal areas from flooding are destroyed when dynamite is used for fishing. Roads built along beaches to promote tourism disturb the natural balance of fragile sand dune ecosystems.

 Merapi volcano

Government policies do not protect or limit the use of natural resources in order to prevent these kinds of natural disasters. Government officials view the resources as expendable commodities that are valuable for their use and benefits, but do not take into account the fact that resource degradation can cause disasters that are costly and disruptive to communities.

Mountain Wisdom

Some 50,000 people live on the southwest flank of the volcano. Teguh calculates there are more than 1,200 inhabitants living in 30 hamlets within the inner circle of the volcano. The closest houses are less than six kilometers from the crater at about 5,000 feet above sea level.

The inhabitants work as farmers, cultivating fertile soil that supports terraces of tobacco, tea and coffee plants, neat plots of carrots, cabbages, beans and peas, wild raspberries, and clove and banana trees. "We can see hot clouds and hear small eruptions almost every day," Teguh noted.

The inhabitants all know that the Merapi volcano is very dangerous, yet many are determined to stay on the mountain, for their livelihood depends on it. Teguh believes inhabitants who have lived next to the volcano all their lives must have developed some local wisdom to cope with eruptions and survive them. He believes they can manage the danger, and make use of the critical events that disasters often bring.

"It is very sad to lose a husband, a wife, children, livestock and houses," he said. "But it is worse to lose a memory, and not to learn anything from what has happened."

Training for emergency treatment, using local medications

In 1995, following the eruption, Teguh began training the inhabitants of two villages on the volcano's slope in disaster management and preparedness. He found many had ignored past warnings by military government officials.

The people were alienated from the government because of its policies of forcing people in development projects and disaster-prone areas to relocate or "transmigrate" to distant places. The western slope of the volcano had been emptied following an eruption in the early 1960s when the inhabitants were forced to transmigrate by the government.

"It doubled the suffering of the people," Teguh said. "In addition to losing loved ones and properties, they were forced to leave their home and birth place."

For the remaining residents on the southern, eastern and northern slopes, years of government persuasion have failed. "These volcano dwellers have enjoyed living here for generations," Teguh noted. "Some of them even live very close to the hot smoke."

Five Stages of Disaster ManagementNearly every other weekend, Teguh, his wife Raras, and their two boys, Galih (11 years) and Gandar (7  years) visit communities around the volcano to make people aware of the mountain's eruptive moods, and help them to be ready for them. They have become accepted as friends, if not honorary family members of the villagers on Merapi.

They travel in an old jeep Teguh calls "Rhino," for the steel beast has the rhino's endurance for running through muddy mountain terrain. Teguh is known here as a simple, friendly man. "People wave their hands and greet us when they see our jeep passing," Raras said.

Teguh teaches village residents and community organizations a five-stage system of disaster early-warning, rapid-response, reconstruction, prevention and preparation. For each of these stages, Teguh works to draw out and incorporate the local community's knowledge and practices regarding disaster response.

Merapi volcano with "Rhino" in the foreground

In the past, the government's program of community never reached the common people who faced the threat of eruptions. Government courses were offered only to district officials, and almost always dealt with irrelevant topics.

"The village chiefs were trained to give search and rescue instruction, while people need to know what sorts of precautions and preventive steps should be taken," said an inhabitant of Turgo village.

The first stage of Teguh's training involves helping communities document and utilize traditional, community-based, early-warning signals to foresee impending disasters. Teguh found the villagers didn't like the sound of an electronic bell set up by government as a warning system.

Traditionally, many communities have relied on beating hollow tree trunks to warn each other of impending floods. Teguh found they still prefer to use bamboo or wooden instruments.

Dealing with the Steam

Teguh also helps communities develop evacuation systems that respond rapidly to natural disasters, rather than wait for government action. "By improving our alert system, and our skill to manage disasters, communities can empower themselves to deal with the steamy Merapi," he said.

The second stage involves helping community members return to their community, if possible, to assess the damage and potential for repair, to begin repair of homes, and to search for livestock. While many members of the community may be afraid to return, Teguh helps communities' regain their psychological strength. He restores a sense of solidarity by helping communities organize cultural expositions that re-establish a sense of community and the value of tradition.

In the third stage, Teguh encourages communities to begin rebuilding the social system and infrastructures – that is, to rebuild roads and dams, test the water, choose new local leaders to help adapt to the new circumstances, and reestablish connections between neighbors.

This can be a lengthy process, in which villagers are unlikely to benefit from government resources. Thus, Teguh encourages communities to develop strategies that enlist and encourage cooperation between those who have been affected less by the disaster, and those who have suffered more.

  Midwives training in Mageleang ("Rhino" on left)

The fourth stage involves a range of prevention activities that differ, depending on the kind of natural disaster a community may face. Teguh helps identify possible disaster-prone areas, and helps the community develop methods for preventing or limiting the impact of a disaster.

This includes a combination of community activity and government advocacy. For example, in a flood-prone area, the community is involved in building retaining walls or raising houses. In a village near potential volcanic activity, the community works together to build a road to expedite evacuation.

Teguh also encourages local community members and organizations to research their area and the potential for disaster. Too often, outsiders who do not know the land and surrounding environment conduct this type of research. Government policy often is then based on the research of such outside "experts."

Key to Teguh's work is involving communities in research and planning, then advocacy to local governments so they develop policies and laws based on real needs. An example: local residents of a village helped improve the government's plans for a watershed management project by gathering and presenting data about their area.

Be Prepared

The fifth stage involves training communities to prepare for future disasters. Community members are trained in emergency medical techniques, alternative sources of communications, evacuation, and other activities.

Teguh is helping implement this system by training community members and organizations within the community, who can then go out and train other community members. He wants the local community organizations to lead and organize these efforts.

Teguh also is working with, and training, members of environmental protection and farmers' networks, such as WALHI (Indonesia Forum for the Environment) and JARNOP (organizations working with farming groups). He also has developed a range of publications that are distributed widely to environmental and farming groups, as well as to local governments.

Teguh recognizes that while this community-based system of disaster response is critical to providing real and effective assistance and recovery, it is also critical for local governments to change the way they manage natural resources and the environment, to prevent future natural disasters. For this reason, he is advocating that local governments incorporate proper resource management in their policy decision-making process, to prevent disasters.

Teguh believes that local government officials must be provided with information and be made aware of the potential consequences of environmental policies. He is focusing on local government officials because the decentralization that followed the fall of the Soeharto regime has put these types of policy decisions into their hands. He believes it is critical to educate and influence these officials while they are new to this kind of policymaking.

Shortly before Indonesia's military government collapsed in 1998, Teguh trained families in 17 villages. Merapi erupted the day after Teguh and his friends had conducted a disaster simulation drill. Fortunately, the villagers memory was still fresh from the drill. They went about their tasks calmly and survived the eruptions.

Creating a Track Record

When Teguh began his work, the office of the government volcano observatory was not very happy with him. Government officials suspected KAPPALA was fomenting distrust and disrespect for the government's authority to manage response to volcanoes.

But the results of Teguh's work have given him a favorable reputation. He now is known as a counselor for communities that have been affected by natural disasters – including volcanoes, floods, forest fires, landslides and earthquakes – or that have the potential to suffer from such natural disasters. As a naturalist, Teguh is interested in biodiversity conservation programs, and disaster management courses for coastal areas.

"I keep working behind the screen, encouraging local communities to be aware of their own advantages when they live in troublesome areas," he said. He has worked on a food security project in which he helped fishermen plant water melon on the beach, where sand makes the soil fertile – making use of the period when there is no tsunami or hurricanes.

  Eko Teguh during a food security training

Teguh has helped communities draw-up their own maps of areas susceptible to threats from landslides and floods. During this past year, he helped people construct bunkers, and encouraged them to utilize radio communications.

Some of these people have volunteered to work as volcano watchers, and have stationed themselves in a position that is much closer to the mouth of the volcano than the conventional posts guarded by government officials. People are now better informed, and are no longer treated as objects by authorities when disaster threatens.

Since the fall of the Suharto regime, the reformed government administrations recognize Teguh's expertise. He is invited to facilitate workshops and training in various disaster-prone districts.

Urip Bahagia, the chief government officer in charge of evacuation, said Teguh's style is different from the government's approach. "The government tends to provide people with orders, while Eko Teguh and his friends emphasize the need for counseling," he said.

Bahagia said that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Teguh's KAPPALA have tended to create conflicts among communities, especially when government officials have ordered people to abandon an area, and NGO activists encourage them to stay.

"Some people, including village chiefs, were in favor of Eko Teguh's approach," Bahagia said. "But many were loyal to the instructions given by authorities. Fortunately, we are now realizing that counseling is more acceptable."

The government now conducts two types of training and receives numerous requests for training from communities living in disaster prone areas, said Sonny Suarsono, an officer with Social Affairs. "We conduct two types of training," he said. "The first one is a managerial level training given to village officials and public figures. The second one is for task force staffs, and is followed by training for ten-day classes of 40 persons. Eko Teguh is very well accepted here. I feel he has a perfect methodology to offer."

Suarsono said he believes that people should be encouraged to take initiative on their own, and not just wait for orders from the government. Teguh is an excellent trainer, he added.

"He knows many different types of natural disasters, and he has a lot of management models for dealing with them. He woke people up shortly after midnight and trained them about what to do in case a landslide occurs."

This particular training included instruction in first aid, opening a public kitchen, and a pioneering of search and rescue training. "People enjoy the simulation and the interactive methods introduced by KAPPALA," Suarsono said. "It is really needed, and very good."

How to Live in Dangerous Places

Government authorities have invited Teguh to give many different training sessions and drills during the past two years. As result, communities around Merapi are more conscious now than ever before, Bahagia said.

While in the past, many ignored authorities' warnings when an alert condition was raised, today people are ready to collect their valuables and foods, as necessary, Bahagia said. "Eko Teguh and his friends brought us a new paradigm – how to live in dangerous places."

Teguh has become a nationally-known facilitator for refugees and potential victims of natural disasters. He conducts workshops on many other islands of Indonesia with the sponsorship of the UN High Commission on Refugees and Oxfam.

When Teguh was elected an Ashoka Fellow in late November 2000, Indonesia's most prestigious news magazine, Tempo, hailed him with a two-page report entitled "Make Friends with Disasters, a la Teguh" (teguh literally means "perseverance" in the Indonesian language.)

5.14.2006

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Thanks, posted.

Brian

5.14.2006

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Thanks, will post this link.

Brian

5.14.2006

Merapi means "Fire Mountain." It is the most volatile volcano on Indonesia's
large island of Java,
which – with 600 people per square kilometer – has one of the highest
population densities in the world.
Merapi has erupted 68 times since 1548. One of the worst blasts was in 1930,
when more than 1,000 people were killed.
Because of Merapi's violent past and its location just 20 miles north of the
city of Yogyakarta (population 3 million),
Merapi has the unfortunate distinction of producing more nuee ardentes than
any other volcano on Earth.
This refers to highly heated masses of gas-charged ash that are expelled by
a volcano with explosive force
and move at hurricane speeds up to 70 mph down the mountainside like glowing
avalanches.
Nuee ardentes occur when the lava dome at the summit of a mountain
collapses.
Merapi's lava dome is much like the dome inside Mount St. Helens in
Washington State.

One of the more frightening of volcanic eruption phenomena is the nuee
ardente,
or glowing cloud. It happens quickly and is hard to escape from;
One of the reasons why it is wise to evacuate people from volcanoes that
erupt explosively.
Nuees ardentes are billowing masses composed of incandescent dust and ash
buoyed up by hot gases.
A nuee starts with an explosive volcanic eruption that spews the hot
material upward or obliquely outward from a vent.
After expanding upward hundreds or thousands of feet, the boiling,
angry-looking cloud spreads out and falls downslope
With searing temperatures that may exceed 500°F the nuee races downhill at
speeds in excess of a hundred miles per hour,
typically killing all life in its path.
The most famous of all nuees is one that swept several miles down the slopes
of Mt. Pelee in 1902
to kill all except two of 30,000 persons in the town of St. Pierre,
Martinique.


http://news.indahnesia.com/item/200605131/merapi_volcano_alert_prompts_mandatory_evacuations.php

Bsafe , Ruud

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Thanks.

Brian

5.14.2006

reply,

Thanks David, will post this.

Brian

5.14.2006

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Thanks, will post this ASAP.

Brian

5.14.2006

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Thanks, link posted.

Brian