Banyuwangi Coastal Community Local Wisdom And Tsunami Mitigation Schemes 20-20-20

Members of the Sarongan Village Destana practice the evacuation process (IST)

BANYUWANGi - The potential for a tsunami called the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) makes all parties have to prepare disaster management mitigations. The people of the southern coast of Banyuwangi are now receiving socialization of tsunami disaster mitigation.

In addition to utilizing technology, the people on the southern coast of Banyuwangi apparently have local wisdom as a step to mitigate the tsunami disaster.

In Sarongan Village, Banyuwangi, the local community has local wisdom about the signs of a tsunami, apart from a big earthquake.

This sign is based on the experience of this village area which was hit by the tsunami in 1994.

The head of the Sarongan Disaster Resilient Village (Destana), Agus Salim Afandi, said that there were two strange events that signaled that a tsunami would occur.

The first is that the fish are seen pulling over to the beach area. The phenomenon of fish moving aside is believed to be because in the sea an unusual event is taking place.

"If there is a tsunami, the fish will move aside. They know why something happened, the residents will be suspicious," he said, Thursday, June 10.

Then, the smell of sea water is usually sharper and pungent than usual days.

"It's very salty when a tsunami occurs. It's the old people (who experienced the tsunami) who said that," he said.

Agus said the residents of Sarongan Village were used to it and knew what to do in the event of a tsunami. One of them is if there is a big earthquake, they will definitely look for a high place to evacuate themselves.

Members of the Sarongan Village Destana practice the evacuation process (IST)

Residents are also familiar with the mitigation of the 20-20-20 scheme. This scheme is a disaster mitigation guideline for ordinary people, especially those living in coastal areas.

The scheme explains that if people feel a shock for 20 seconds, then after that they must evacuate themselves.

Because, in 20 minutes the potential for a tsunami will occur. Furthermore, people are advised to run away from the beach to a higher place, with a minimum height of 20 meters.

"We have prepared an area of 20 meters and above, this is so that the community is safe. We have given hope to the community, until the introduction of signs," he said.

Before 1994, said Agus, people did not know what a tsunami was and its signs.

"I didn't know before, but now there's an earthquake, even though it's not strong, it's gone. If the siren sounds, it runs immediately," he said

This kind of mitigation exercise is always carried out 2 to 3 times a year. This is to sharpen the instincts of residents if there are signs of a tsunami.

Agus explained that Destana is a disaster-resilient village formed by BPBD. Destana consists of 35 people who are tasked with providing disaster socialization.

"Our spirit is socialized, at least 2-3 times a year for disaster mitigation," he said.

To note, as many as 60 residents of Sarongan Village became victims of the 1994 tsunami. Of that number, 43 people were declared missing.

Head of Banyuwangi BPBD Disaster Prevention Section, Yusuf Arif said there are 6 villages on the southern coast of Banyuwangi that make up the Destana. These include Sumberagung Village, Pesanggaran Village, Sarongan, Grajagan, Muncar, and Kedungringin.

"The villages have been equipped with signs and evacuation routes when a disaster strikes," he said at the Banyuwangi BPBD Office, last week.