Living on the Edge
Indonesia has long been known as the ‘supermarket of disasters.’ Every conceivable catastrophe can be found here, from floods to earthquakes. On January 24, the Data Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters listed Indonesia as one among five countries with the highest number of deaths resulting from disasters. Ancient methods were developped as creative means to face disasters. Yet modernity and environmental changes seem to be crushing local wisdom. The Hyogo Framework—the United Nations framework for disaster risk reduction—approved local wisdom as an important element in mitigating the risk of disasters. What are the challenges of its preservation? A special report for Tempo English Edition.
February 2, 2011
SELAMET Daeli was asleep when the 8.7-magnitude earthquake rocked his house. The 31-year-old, with his wife and four children, woke up instantly. Panic spread. He was prompted to flee, but the high stairs going down the building kept his urge at bay. Then he decided to wait until the tremors subsided. Fortunately the whole family was safe while his house, which actually was over 150 years old, remained intact. “It was shaking but wasn’t toppl
...