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"The following information is compiled from media reports as indicated in the references below. The contents of this page do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP, nor are they an official record." Mount Merapi volcanic eruption in Java
- Indonesia Background Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano erupted with clouds of hot gas and rained ash on surrounding areas on Monday, 15 May 2006, sending some nearby villagers who had been reluctant to leave scurrying for safety. It has been several weeks since Mount Merapi, situated at 460 km west of the capital Jakarta of Indonesia, is in activity. Witnessing smoke and rumbling from the volcano, the alert was raised to the second highest level on 19 April. The highest alert level was reached on Saturday
13 May. Indeed, clouds of hot gas, and volcanic ash were interpreted
as a signal of early stages of an eruption. The highest alert level implies the evacuation of the population endangered. According to field reports of the Indonesian Red Cross on Saturday 13 May, 8,230 people have evacuated from the most high-risk zones. The official data on people living on and close the mountain is of 14,000 people. The evacuation was ordered to 22,500 to 29,000 people. UN OCHA evaluated the maximum endangered population to about 80,000 depending on the way the lava would follow. Mount Merapi, 2,986 meters high, is considered as a very active volcano, with eruption occuring once a decade. In 1994, its gas cloud killed 70 people. Consequently to one of the worst eruption of Mount Merapi in 1930, around 1300 people were killed. Indonesia, with at least 129 active volcanoes,
is part of the Asia-Pacific "Ring of Fire". The archipelago of Indonesia consists of more than 13,000 islands. It is the country with the greatest number and density of active volcanoes. Indonesia leads the world in many volcano statistics. It has the largest number of historically active volcanoes (76), its total of 1,171 dated eruptions is only narrowly exceeded by Japan's 1,274, although not much is known about the volcanic activity in the time before European colonialists arrived from the 15th century on. Indonesia has suffered the highest numbers of eruptions producing fatalities, damage to arable land, mudflows, tsunamis, domes, and pyroclastic flows. Four-fifths of Indonesian volcanoes with dated eruptions have erupted in this century. Two of the most devastating volcanic eruptions
in historic time took place in Indonesia: the enormous eruption
of Tambora in 1815,- the largest known eruption of the world during
historical times,- had such far-reaching effects on the climate
that for instance Europe was to experience 1816 as the year without
summer. In 1883, the disastrous eruption of Krakatau carved itself
deeply into the collective memory of mankind. The eruption of Krakatau
was followed by severe tsunamis that killed about 30-40,000 people. In recent years many communities, have experienced widespread destruction, causing devastation for people and damage to the environment. There have always been, and always will be, floods, storms, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, tsunamis and other disasters, but the patterns of modern life are exposing more communities to danger then ever before. At no time in history have so many people lived in cities close to seismic areas, and destitution and poverty are leading more and more people to live in flood plains or areas prone to landslides. Mitigation of the impacts of disasters linked with efforts to alleviate poverty and improve sanitation is undoubtedly one of today's major global challenges. Disasters inevitably bring about crises. It is the degree to which people are prepared for disaster that determines how vulnerable or resilient their community will be. APELL, standing for Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level, is a process designed to create public awareness of hazards and to ensure that communities and emergency services are adequately trained and prepared to respond. The impacts of disasters can be substantially reduced if surrounding communities and emergency services are fully informed about possible hazards, and have been educated about risk management and crisis management plans. Community awareness and involvement are key factors in mitigating and limiting the impacts of disaster, they are also key aspects of the APELL process. An important aspect of APELL is flexibility. Although the process addresses a common need-improving communities' abilities to cope with the impacts of all disasters-it does not mean imposing a 'one-size-fits-all' solution. APELL provides an overall organizational framework that builds on existing emergency plans. The process can also be integrated into disaster planning at local, national and international levels. Wherever it is applied, APELL's goals remain the
same: to prevent loss of life; to avoid property damage; and to
ensure environmental safety in the local community. References and Useful Links |
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