Expert urges risk-based mitigation to tackle Bromo fires

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tourism expert from Andalas University, Sari Lenggasting, is urging the management of the Mount Bromo area in East Java to strengthen risk-based mitigation by limiting activities and visitor capacity during fire-prone periods.

“During seasons with a high risk of fire, for example, visitor capacity, certain activities, the use of fire, commercial activities, filming, events, and other high-risk activities must be restricted based on the daily risk level,” Sari stated when contacted by ANTARA from Jakarta on Thursday.

Sari noted that managing Bromo requires more than just a fire extinguishing approach; it necessitates a disaster management and tourism crisis approach. This includes the recovery of the area, the tourism ecosystem, community livelihoods, and tourist confidence.

During the recovery phase, she identified four necessary interventions, starting with a rapid tourism impact assessment to calculate the impact on jeep drivers, guides, homestays, traders, MSMEs, photographers, horse providers, and informal workers.

Furthermore, consumer protection should be provided through options for refunds or rescheduling without penalties. Meanwhile, tourism livelihood recovery should include measures such as the relaxation of business obligations, micro working capital assistance, labour-intensive programmes, and visitor redistribution to alternative attractions and tourism villages deemed safe.

She also assessed that recurring fires should serve as a signal for managers to shift their approach from reactive management to predictive risk management.

“Therefore, in my view, the measure of success for Bromo’s recovery is not how quickly tourists return, but how safely Bromo is reopened, how quickly the community’s economy recovers, and whether the risk of the next fire is reduced,” she said.

Strong winds are also affecting the spread of the fire, while the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.