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Learning from the past: vulnerability assessment of the three major volcanic eruptions in Indonesia
Last modified: 2022-11-15
Abstract
Located in the Ring of Fire, Indonesia is home to over a hundred volcanoes that are at risk of erupting. Several violent eruptions have resulted in many fatalities and significant impacts on the population. In this study, we examine the three major volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, namely Samalas (1257), Tambora (1815), and Krakatoa (1885), related to the extent of impacts and vulnerability. Due to their similarity to catastrophic events, these past eruptions have never been compared in terms of vulnerability. Previous research, report, or historical account are required to examine the eruption's impact and vulnerability of these past eruptions. The assessment is conducted using variables from the case of the Vesuvius (79 CE) eruption. The physical impact is strongly influenced by eruption magnitude, whereas societal characteristics affect the degree of vulnerability. This past vulnerability resembles contemporary vulnerability, where social capital significantly influences the degree of vulnerability. This assessment can be helpful information for impact and vulnerability prediction in a worst-case scenario of a volcano eruption in Indonesia.