The Importance of Literacy and Mitigation to Minimize the Impact of the Lembang Fault Disaster Risk
West Java, especially the city of Bandung, is an area that has quite high disaster potential. Conditions are influenced by geological conditions that are prone to disasters.
One of the potential disasters lurking is the Lembang Fault. This active fault at any time has the potential to cause an earthquake that is quite damaging and can claim lives.
Coordinator for Data and Information at the Bandung City Meteorology, Climatology, Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Virga Librian, said that community disaster literacy must continue to be improved and carried out on an ongoing basis to minimize the risk of disasters such as earthquakes.
Apart from that, it is hoped that all parties will carry out preparedness by mitigating structural and non-structural disasters.
"Structural mitigation includes building earthquake-resistant buildings, especially vital school buildings and hospitals that are able to withstand earthquake shocks," said Virga at Bandung Answers at City Hall, Wednesday 8 May 2024.
Apart from that, continued Virga, providing, adding and repairing evacuation routes is one of the right steps to anticipate the worst possibility.
Not only that, non-structural mitigation efforts include conducting disaster literacy discussions to anticipate potential risks and anticipatory steps.
"The government also issues regional regulations or regulations regarding regional spatial planning that need to be regulated so that when a disaster occurs it is better organized," he said.
From the research results, said Virga, the Lembang fault has a potential magnitude of 6.5-7 and is a large earthquake based on several parameters. Based on this potential, BMKG has created a shock scenario map, the result being that the Greater Bandung area has an impact of 5-8 MMI.
"Based on the scenario, almost all of West Java, Banten and Jakarta will be affected (the Lembang fault). Greater Bandung will be affected by 5-8 MMI, such as KBB, Bandung City, Subang, Purwakarta which will be significantly and destructively affected," he said.
Currently, BMKG has 31 seismometers and seismographs throughout West Java.
"Specifically to monitor Lembang fault activity itself, we are currently adding 6 local sensors," he said.
Meanwhile, Young Researcher at the Disaster Research Center of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Edi Hidayat, said that community disaster literacy must be strengthened. Especially in the current era of information disruption, there is a lot of disinformation and fake news circulating in society and causing unrest and panic.
Therefore, according to him, building strong disaster literacy requires pentahelix synergy and cooperation. Namely the involvement of the government, experts or academics, the business world, society and the mass media.
"It is true that the Lembang Fault is active. But what we have to be careful of is how we know the correct information. Because on social media we often read things. People must look for clear information and sources related to the potential of the Lembang Fault so that they are not easily fooled by false news. ," said Edi.
After looking for the correct information, he said, take precautions starting from the smallest things and the closest environment such as the house and neighborhood neighborhood.
"In a place like an office, is it safe to use tools that are attached to the wall, for example? Or prepare a bag for an emergency containing medicine and other valuables," he said. (rob)*
Head of the Bandung City Communication and Information Office
Yayan A. Brilyana
