USAID Planning for Disaster Responses in Indonesia

In April 2006, the Mount Merapi volcano on the Indonesian island of Java -- known by locals as the "Mountain of Fire" -- awoke from a four-year slumber, spewing gas and lava down its slopes.


One month later, as volcanic activity continued and local residents braced for the possibility of a large, explosive eruption, a devastating earthquake struck just 45 kilometers south of Mount Merapi.
With more than 1 million people affected by the earthquake and another 70,000 residents facing the potential of a major eruption, addressing the vulnerabilities and meeting the humanitarian needs of local communities was no small feat. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) successfully confronted the dual challenges by drawing on its robust preparedness and response capacities.
USAID helped the Indonesian Red Cross stock evacuation centers with shelter materials, blankets and water containers to meet the immediate needs of thousands of evacuees. Anticipating and preparing to address these needs proved essential to evacuating thousands of residents to the centers.
To assist local scientists at the Mount Merapi Observatory in monitoring continuing fluctuations in volcanic activity, USAID deployed a team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) specialists.
The USGS team noted that the volcano was unusually unpredictable, posing challenges to local officials and the humanitarian community anticipating an eruption. The team developed a "probability tree" to better understand the risks to different communities and provided enhanced instrumentation for monitoring the volcano.
The team incorporated planning for a major eruption into its earthquake response activities. It made earthquake response grants flexible so partners could quickly respond if a major volcanic eruption occurred. USAID also supported the development of emergency radio broadcasts designed to warn residents of an impending volcanic eruption and to communicate other key messages.
In early June, Mount Merapi was at the highest level of alert when an avalanche of volcanic material and gas flowed seven kilometers down the southeastern side of the volcano. As a result of ongoing early warning and preparedness, local communities had become adept at evacuating on short notice. With USAID assistance, evacuation centers were poised to meet the humanitarian needs of evacuees. The avalanche did reach a nearby village but all residents already were sheltered safely in evacuation centers.
Threats posed by the Mount Merapi volcano and earthquakes are unlikely to diminish in the near future. However, with a proven arsenal of preparedness and response measures, USAID is well-positioned to identify and respond to multiple disasters in the same location.