Potential tsunami 20 meters south of Java, BMKG: Don’t panic and focus on mitigation Page all

KOMPAS.com – The results of research by researchers from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) on the potential of a 20-meter tsunami in the south of the island of Java went viral and was widely discussed by the public.

Research results that have been published in journals Nature science report On (9/17/2020), it is considered concerning if it actually happens later.

So how does the Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) respond to the results of the ITB researcher’s study?

To Kompas.com, Friday (9/25/2020); The Head of BMKG’s Earthquake and Tsunami Mitigation Division, Dr. Daryono, said that BMKG appreciated the results in this regard.

He explained that BMKG appreciated the research because the scientific study carried out allowed to determine the maximum potential magnitude of the earthquake. megathrust and the worst case.

Also read: ITB researchers assess the potential of a 20-meter tsunami, tsunami experts call to be alert

However, until now, existing technology has not been able to accurately and accurately predict when and where an earthquake will occur.

“The resulting model scenario is the worst (worst of cases), and this can be used as a reference in mitigation efforts to reduce disaster risk from earthquakes and tsunamis, ”he said.

Therefore, responding to this uncertainty, what needs to be done are mitigation efforts by preparing concrete steps to minimize the risk of social, economic and loss losses.

He emphasized that information from the results of this study should not exacerbate people’s anxiety and concerns, but should be responded to immediately with actual mitigation efforts.

Read also: ITB research reveals the potential of a 20 meter tsunami in South Java, here is the explanation

Don’t worry the community and focus on mitigation

Daryono said that at this time, ordinary people expected a devastating earthquake in southern Java to occur in the near future. In fact, this is not the case.

“We admit, information on the potential for strong earthquakes in the area megathrust indeed prone to causing disturbances due to misunderstandings or misleading,” he said.

However, the community turned out to be more interested in discussing potential negative impacts than in the mitigation message to be taken.

When it comes to mitigating potential catastrophic disasters, there are still many things that the community and related stakeholders can do.

Among them are the following.

– Increasing mitigation socialization activities

– Evacuation drills (punch out)

– Arrangement and installation of evacuation signs.

– Prepare a temporary evacuation site

– Build earthquake resistant houses

– Organization of coastal spatial planning based on tsunami risk

– Improve the performance of the tsunami early warning system.