Tourism Developments Increase Tsunami Disaster Risk in Pangandaran, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

On 17 July 2006, the tourist resort of Pangandaran on Java’s south coast was hit by a tsunami, resulting in 413 fatalities and severe damage to buildings. The tsunami resulted in major rebuilds with a focus on mass tourism. Assessments of the impact of a future tsunami focussed on building development and suggest limited change since 2006. This article presents a case study on the development of (largely domestic) tourism in Pangandaran and how this has increased the tsunami disaster risk. Tourist numbers were stable at about 900,000 visitors a year prior to the tsunami, down to slightly over 250,000 visitors a year in its aftermath, and from 2007 onwards numbers are doubling every three years to about 4 million visitors in 2019. The increase has been most pronounced during weekends. Prior to 2006, Pangandaran was characterized by wooden structures and one- and two-story buildings of clay-brick masonry; by 2019, 14 three to six-story hotels have been erected along the waterfront. With many more visitors, most of whom are unfamiliar with tsunami risks, and shelter facilities for less than a quarter of visitors during peak times, future impacts and the potential cost to life are considerably higher now than in 2006, especially if a tsunami were to hit over a weekend. All tourists upon arrival and throughout their stay should be better informed about the risks of tsunamis, and of the location of tsunami shelters and evacuation routes.

Illegal Trade in Protected Sharks: The Case of Artisanal Whale Shark Meat Fisheries in Java, Indonesia

“…Given that most of the Pangandaran Bay tourists are from within Indonesia (primarily Java, in 2019, home to 150.4 million people), internationally the tourism attraction of Pangandaran is rarely noted. Nijman [ 25 ] estimated for 2019 that on average ~23,000 to 44,000 people (weekday/weekend) people were present on the Pangandaran peninsula each day. With so many people around, it is near-impossible for whale sharks that are landed on the beach or shallows not to be noticed.…”

“…Most are small boats that only go out on day trips, venturing five to eight km out at sea. In 2019, 3.8 million tourists, over 99% from within Indonesia, visited the Pangandaran Regency [ 25 ]; even in the least visited months (February and May), around 100,000 tourists were still present.…”

Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis of Batukaras Village as a Tourism Village in Indonesia

“…Meanwhile, the southern part of Java has high tourism potential to be developed. One of these tourism potentials can be seen from the many tourist villages located on the southern coast of Java, one of which is Batukaras Village, located in Pangandaran Regency, West Java (Koswara et al, 2021;Nijman, 2021;Windupranata et al, 2020). Batukaras Village is one of the villages in Indonesia that is often visited by local and foreign tourists.…”

Reply on RC2

“…Meanwhile, the southern part of Java has high tourism potential to be developed. One of these tourism potentials can be seen from the many tourist villages located on the southern coast of Java, one of which is Batukaras Village, located in Pangandaran Regency, West Java (Koswara et al, 2021;Nijman, 2021;Windupranata et al, 2020). Batukaras Village is one of the villages in Indonesia that is often visited by local and foreign tourists.…”