Sunda Strait Tsunami, Between Limitations and Uncertainty

On Tuesday, 29^th January 2019, RDI attended a scientific discussion with theme about "Sunda Strait Tsunami, Between Limitations and Uncertainty". This event held by Indonesian Association of Geophysicist (HAGI) with Geophysical Engineering Study Program FTTM-ITB in East CC Auditorium of Institute of Technology Bandung. The speaker that shared information come from government officials, geologist, volcanologist, and people with expertise in the mitigation of disaster.

The discussion divided into two session. The first session held a topic of "Anak Krakatau Mountain Activities and Tsunami Event of 22nd December 2018". Rahmat Triyono, Dipl.Seis. M.Sc., head of Earthquake and Tsunami Center in Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), became the first speaker. He talked about how the agency respond the disaster that happened in Sunda Strait from the first encounter to the press release that they give to the public. Thing that the agency emphasize is the needs of better communication and coordination between BMKG, Geology Agency of Indonesia, and people with expertise could be tighter in order to anticipate the possible disaster caused by volcanic eruption, landslides, and other non-seismic activities and improve how the government respond into any possible disaster. The second speaker was Dr. Ir. Hendra Gunawan, head of Volcano Mitigation Sector in Geological Disaster Mitigation and Volcanology Center Indonesia. He spoke about the recorded activity of Anak Krakatau Mountain and how the strategy to observe that. In addition, he explained what actually happened in Anak Krakatau Mountain before the disaster event. The final speaker in this session is Dr. Eng. Mirzam Abdurrachman, S.T., M.T., from Institute of Technology Bandung that talked about "Dynamic of Anak Krakatau Mountain Eruption Before and After Tsunami". He explained the development of Anak Krakatau Mountain and the realization of its uniqueness.

Picture 1.  Prof. Hery Harjono

The second session held a topic of "Sunda Strait Tectonic Order, Tsunami, and Mitigation Effort". The first speaker is Prof. Hery Harjono with the topic "Sunda Strait Tectonic Order: Extension Zone" that discussed about how Sunda Strait zone is a very active zone tectonically due to its condition of extension zone. The next speaker was Dr. Eng. Hamzah Latief, M.Si., lecturer from Institute of Technology Bandung, talked about the tsunami that happened in Sunda Strait, including the possible cause to the size of the tsunami. The last speaker was Ir. Harkunti Pertiwi Rahayu, Ph.D, lecturer from Institute of Technology Bandung. She talked about "Sunda Strait Tsunami, Needs of Mitigation" and explained the current condition of the affected area and strategy for mitigation in the future. Therefore, she emphasized on how Indonesia's government should give more concern on how its people tackle and prepared for the upcoming disasters, not only the people that has the potential to be affected but also the buildings.

Besides of all the amazing speakers that already mentioned above, between the first and second session, there is also a special guest that giving a short speech about Indonesia's condition and its relationship with disaster. It was Prof. Robert Hall, professor of geology in Royal Holloway, University of London. He emphasized on how Indonesia, especially its geoscientist should give more concern to Indonesia's prone to disaster condition geologically and do something about it. Because the realization of the geological condition in the place we live in fact is a must.

Reported by: Muhammad Riyo Hanafi, Yeremia I. Sihombing