Earthquake vulnerability mapping in the at-risk Opak Fault, Sengon Village, Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to perform vulnerability assessment in a detailed scale at villages adjacent to Opak fault, Central Java. The study took place in Sengon Village, Prambanan District, Klaten Regency. Sengon is located near Opak fault zone and experienced tremendous disaster in 2006. The method for vulnerability assessment in earthquake hazard used in this study involves three criteria, i.e. physical, social, and economic with various indicators within. The mapping unit are hamlet units, which more detailed than village unit. The result of physical vulnerability assessment in Sengon village was dominated by a medium level of vulnerability. Sengon village has clustered settlement characteristics and this is a type of rural village in Indonesia. The advantage of clustered settlements is that there is a large evacuation site in this case paddy fields. The socio-economic vulnerability indicates that the majority of Sengon village are informal workers. This will have a big impact if an earthquake occurs because there will be many people lose their income. The total vulnerability assessment shows that all levels of vulnerability are distributed similarly. The advantage of this study is helpful to determine the action for reducing vulnerability especially in the at-risk of earthquake hazard.