BNPB Map Areas Prone To Mount Ibu Lava Floods, Post-Eruption Securrency Disaster Mitigation

Mount Ibu in West Halmahera, North Maluku (Malut). (doc BNPB)

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has mapped areas prone to cold lava floods in Mount Ibu in West Halmahera, North Maluku (Malut). Head of BNPB Disaster Data and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, said that the mapping effort was carried out to mitigate the potential for secondary disasters that came after the eruption. Mount Ibu is known to have recently erupted. "In the mapping operation, the team deployed a drone called Wingtra Gen-2 which has the ability to map quickly for visual surveillance and can display captures of events directly," said Abdul Muhari in his statement, Wednesday, June 5. He explained that the drone monitors residential areas in the river flow route and the conditions for debris flow or melting lava material that escapes the series of eruption activities of Mount Ibu. In the first phase of mapping, the team searched the north-northwest region of Mountapi Ibu and concentrated in Duono Village. The village is passed by the upstream route of the river which will later lead in the western coastal area. In the next mapping, the team flew a drone over Togoreba Village, Sungi, which is also traversed by rivers upstream in the north-northeast region and closer to the peak of Mount Ibu. Mapping of these two areas was carried out on Tuesday, June 4. Then today, the team continues its mission to see the river path adjacent to residential areas in Naga Village, or the last village closest to the downstream area. "Mapping this residential area is the team's first mission to see the area of coverage, calculate the estimated impact of disaster risk and determine evacuation and rescue directions," he said. Furthermore, the team raised the cruise elevation of the drone to several upstream points of the river to see the topography in more detail. then, the team will raise the level of altitude and the cruising area approaching the mouth of the crater and the volcanic material pile area of Mountapi Ibu lava. "This mission is quite challenging because the weather conditions in the field often change plus Gunungapi Ibu still often operates in time intervals between 16-30 hours per day," he explained.

Abdul Muhari explained that the lava material that was vomited by Mount Ibu during the eruption and then a buildup could pose a secondary disaster threat in the form of rain lava flash floods if ignored. "If there is rain with high intensity and is concentrated in the top areas of the mountain upstream-upstream river for a long time, then the potential for secondary disasters will also increase," he concluded.