Evacuation Planning of Merapi Volcano Disaster
Evacuation planning is the activity to arrange the evacuation process of the
villagers living in the danger zone in order to locate them to a safer location. In
terms of Merapi Volcano disaster, Sleman Government includes the arrangement of
evacuation in the contingency plan. Evacuation planning is organized for villages
and sub-villages at Kecamatan Pakem, Cangkringan, and Turi which have been
determined as highest risk area according to the risk map of Merapi Volcano. The
planning aims to minimize casualties and to prepare facilities and infrastructures
needed in the evacuation process.
Eventhough the Bupati act of Sleman Regency No. 3/Kep.KDH/A/2006
has stated operation procedure of evacuation process, in reality experience from
the 2006 eruptions had revealed some common hindrances. Inadequate allocation
of medical services in evacuation barracks is still happened as many of the
evacuees have not received gas mask to prevent from volcanic ash.
Consequently, some of them were coming down with respiratory infection
[Kedaulatan Rakyat, 2006]. Another emerged issue was related with the condition
of evacuation roads [Tupai, 2006].
Immediate identification of damaged and impassable roads is essential as an
input for the local authorities to perform appropriate reparation or maintenance.
Moreover, there was also a problem regarding livestock of the villagers. Many of
them were returned to their villages during evacuation phase because worried that
their livestock and crops would be vulnerable to theft [Antara, 2006]. The loca