Date: 25 Jul.2007
Visiting Report: Central Java Earthquake, Indonesia
Together with Yamamoto Hiroyuki of the Center for Integrated Area Studies, Kyoto University, and Nishi Yoshimi of the University of Tokyo, we visited and observed a farming community near Yogyakarta that had been devastated by the Central Java Earthquake in May 2006. Though there were still many ruined houses in the Imogiri district, which had suffered most heavily from the quake, many of the farming villages had already undergone a process of reconstruction, allowing them to return to conditions prior to the quake, and our impression was that they had moved into a developmental process that aimed to build a stronger foundation for their livelihood in the face of disaster. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), which had been set up immediately after the quake, had already been closed.
According to Yamamoto and Nishi, who were both close observers of the reconstruction of Aceh following the Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami, some clear differences could be seen between the reconstruction process in Aceh and Yogyakarta. In Aceh, at least at the local community level, efforts had been made to accept foreign aid on a full-fledged scale, but in Yogyakarta the key players in the reconstruction process were the local governmental organizations and people, so the role of foreign aid was seen as a supporting one. One of the reasons for this difference comes from the scale of the devastation. In the case of Aceh, homes and infrastructure were nearly obliterated, whereas in Yogyakarta, the physical destruction was limited, with electricity being restored within a few days of the quake. In addition, social differences may have been a factor, as Aceh attempted to use this occasion to strengthen ties with the outside world, whilst Yogyakarta attempted to reaffirm ties among its own community.
Despite advances in engineering, it is still not possible to completely prevent damage from large-scale natural disasters including earthquakes and floods. Therefore, recovery from natural disasters is a common challenge for humanity. However, whether the reconstruction process is adequate or not depends on the specific history of the region, and on the organizations and institutions that exist within the local society. (Kono Yasuyuki)