Geological Agency: 150 Million Indonesians Live In Earthquake-Prone Areas

Head of the Geological Agency, Muhammad Wafid (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) noted that as many as 150 million Indonesians live in earthquake-prone areas.

Head of the Geological Agency Muhammad Wafid said that Indonesia's tectonic conditions at the meeting of the three main world plates made this country very prone to geological disasters.

He said Indonesia has a subduction route of 7,000 kilometers and more than 3,000 kilometers of active fault lines, which are the main sources of the earthquake.

"Based on records since 2000, of the total distribution, around 250 thousand people died as a result of the earthquake," he said at a press conference that was attended online in Jakarta, Antara, Tuesday, September 23.

The Geological Agency also noted that in addition to the threat of earthquakes, Indonesia is also prone to tsunamis considering the length of the coastline reaches 99,093 kilometers, the second-longest in the world after Canada.

Data from the Geological Agency shows that 5 million people live in tsunami-prone areas, while in the last five years there have been 1,300 incidents of ground movement with 400 hectares of agricultural losses per year, including in Java Island.

Wafid emphasized that mitigation efforts will continue to be strengthened through the preparation of maps prone to earthquake, tsunami, and landslide disasters, so that they can become a reference for local governments.

"However, public awareness of potential disasters is very important, because Indonesia is a natural laboratory for geological disasters," said Muhammad Wafid.