PrintNow that we have a better understanding of what happened in Sulawesi during and right after the earthquake and tsunami, I'd like you to read about three topics related to Indonesia’s disaster vulnerability and preparedness. These touch on themes we've considered earlier, e.g., social vulnerability, planning and preparedness, and emergency communications.
1. READ
Social vulnerability to natural hazards in Indonesia: driving factors and policy implications (2014) in the Journal of Natural Hazards. You can find this article on the following page in Canvas.
The first reading is a journal article about measuring and mapping social vulnerability in Indonesia and how this can be used to inform policy (you first encountered way back in Lesson 3), As you read this, think about how it fits or contrasts with what you learned about who was impacted the most by the 2018 event.
2. READ
Chapter 9: Spatial Planning, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Climate Change Adaptation Integration in Indonesia: Progress, Challenges, and Approach (2017) in the recent book Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia. You can find this book in the Penn State Library and/or on the following page in Canvas.
The second reading focuses on the role of spatial planning in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) efforts in the context of current vulnerabilities and changing vulnerability with climate change. There are two key points I'd like you to take from this reading. The first is the concept of Disaster Risk Reduction, and the second is the idea that the current hazard and risk profile of a given area is not fixed and may be exacerbated by factors such as climate change or rapid urbanization.
THINK ABOUT
What is your reaction to these two papers in light of what we have covered in this class? Reducing risk and vulnerability is a complicated task and perhaps a lot less straightforward than Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. How do you think emerging technologies, especially geospatial, can accelerate the process of DRR?3. READ
Finally, have a look at the following online resources about tsunami warning systems.
- What is a tsunami and how are they monitored?
- What Went Wrong With Indonesia’s Tsunami Early Warning System
- Would the U.S. Tsunami Warning System Have Averted Indonesia’s Disaster?
The final readings take a different direction and discuss tsunami warning systems, how they are meant to work and what happen during the 2018 Sulawesi event.
THINK ABOUT
How might you use geospatial technology in new ways to facilitate disaster warnings? These articles deal with tsunami warning systems, but how might this work with other types of emergencies such as other large-scale events or small-scale events like an active attacker incident? Finally, what are some of the issues associated with providing early warning to everyone versus just to first responders and emergency managers?