Disaster Preparedness Culture in Bandung City Essential to Face Lembang Fault Threats
Disaster preparedness in Bandung City is now being directed to go beyond technical and procedural boundaries. The Bandung City Government emphasises that mitigation must transform into a culture embedded in the daily lives of the community. This is crucial given Bandung’s geographical position, which possesses high vulnerability, particularly due to the activity of the Lembang Fault.
The Mayor of Bandung, Muhammad Farhan, asserted that as the capital of West Java Province, the impact of a disaster in Bandung could have widespread implications. Therefore, preparedness must be built from an early stage through a cultural approach.
“Disaster preparedness must be placed within a cultural or habituation context. It should not be regarded merely as a technical issue, but must become a community habit,” said Farhan during the inauguration of the Disaster Prepared Village (Kampung Siaga Bencana - KSB) for the Coblong District at the West Java People’s Struggle Monument on Friday night.
According to Farhan, cultivating disaster preparedness means that the community becomes organically accustomed to safety protocols. This includes an automatic understanding of evacuation points, self-rescue steps, and the awareness to help one another without waiting for formal instructions.
The value of ‘gotong royong’, which is a character of the Indonesian nation, is seen as the primary foundation for the city’s resilience. Farhan reminded the public not to fall into an individualistic mindset or to rely solely on the government during emergencies.
“Protecting Bandung City is not just the responsibility of the government, but requires the active participation of all elements of society. Gotong royong is both a culture and a national personality,” he added.
He also introduced the “Warga Jaga Warga” (Citizens Guard Citizens) spirit as a collective commitment to mutual protection. In emergency situations, Farhan urged the community to prioritise real action in helping others rather than merely documenting incidents for social media.
The urgency of strengthening preparedness is based on regional vulnerability data. The Head of the Bandung City Social Affairs Office, Yorisa Sativa, revealed that based on mapping, approximately 62 per cent of the districts in Bandung City are potentially affected by the activity of the Lembang Fault.
As a concrete step, the Bandung City Government continues to expand the formation of Disaster Prepared Villages (KSB). To date, five KSBs have been established across strategic points. The KSB is not merely a formal organisation, but a system equipped with supporting facilities for disaster management at the grassroots level. Yorisa explained that each KSB possesses key components to ensure structured and sustainable disaster response.
The existence of KSB is expected to institutionalise the spirit of gotong royong through a planned, structured, and sustainable system. Through collaboration between the government, the community, and the business world, Bandung City is expected to possess strong resilience in facing potential future disasters.