JAVA QUAKE

Lisa,

We are all safe in Padang and monitoring the situation in southern central Java.

It seems that the serious quake damage is limited to an area within about 30km of the epicenter but population density is very high. Major agencies have good road, rail and air access to the disaster area and medical supplies are being reported as adequate. The rising death toll is a serious concern an it indicates that there are many more injured than first thought.

I'm in touch with other NGOs who are based close to the area and at this point we think we should focus on disaster readiness in our area rather than try to raise funds or mobilize volunteers for central Java.

We will continue to gather information and to evaluate the situation. The extent of the damage and the death toll seems massive for a 6.3 quake and this is indeed sobering for us living in Padang.

On Sunday we started construction of a simple structure that will serve as a tsunami ark prototype. We are training a team of builders who are skilled in the use of bamboo and we will adapt construction details use overseas to better suit local materials. After we complete this training center building, we will have a detailed understanding of the cost of building the tsunami arks.

We have chosen this location because the area has vast bamboo resources with the highest strength species predominating. Elevation is over 1,500m and this produces the best quality bamboo for construction. The cost of giant bamboo breaks down to about one third to the grower, one third to the harvester and one third for transport. In the location we have selected the bamboo is growing on the farm and so we are only paying for the cutting and trimming allowing us to do a lot more with donor funds.

The organic farm is situated at Air Angat high on the slopes of Merapi volcano (the Sumatran Merapi) where we are working with the Provincial Government on establishing a training center for organic farming technology. The plan is to establish pilot farms in the Mentawai Islands so that the local population can become more self sufficient in vegetable and fruit production. Almost all fresh fruit and vegetables consumed in the Islands are grown on the mainland and recent fuel price hikes have caused prices of fresh produce to almost double in the last few months.


The farm is only 4 km from Merapi's crater.

We also discussed evacuation strategies for the community around the organic training center in case Merapi becomes more active. This has not occurred but the volcano has erupted destructively several times in the past century.

Past eruptions have been directed towards the North and East and have not caused loss of life in the vicinity of the training center.

Community meeting at the training center

Indonesia's highest volcano, Kerinci, went to level 2 alert last month and we have had reports over the past few days of a series of ash eruptions. Kerinci is only 80miles south east of Padang and obviously we are wondering if the increase in seismic activity in Java foreshadows the same for our area.

Kerinci - Indonesia's tallest volcano at 3,800m

On 29 May, 2006, at 5:44 PM, ltfriesen@aol.com wrote:

Rick, are you OK-were you in Jakarta at the time of the earthquake? lisa