Institut Teknologi Bandung

The Lembang Fault Observatory's role is very important in supporting the research and innovation of earthquake disaster mitigation in the Bandung metropolitan area. ITB became part of the collaboration team, because of its role in Indonesian geology research, and as a means to better understand the science of the potential dangers and the risks of an earthquake from the Lembang Fault.

As a part of this collaboration, the Head of the ITB Team, Dr. Endra Gunawan from the Global Geophysics Research Group (GGRG), Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering (FMPE), stated that since 2019 GGRG has contributed to five GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) continual station for precise deformation observation which was funded through ITB's internal research funds.

"In 2022, a Team from the BRIN Center of Geological Disaster, which was led by Dr. Nuraini Rahma Hanifa stated that they will contribute in providing three GNSS continual stations and three seismic stations to detect signs of earthquakes," he said.

Dr. Edra added that, besides the science behind the danger of earthquakes, the Lembang Fault Observatory will also act as an educational recreational facility for both academicians and the public. The GNSS equipment that is used to predict earthquakes through deformation and seismic change observation will be designed to have real-time processing capability. The equipment is planned to be installed in the West Bandung Regency Governmental Complex and the Tahura Complex.

"Therefore, it is expected that with the construction of Lembang Fault Observatory through this cooperation, it will be able to provide all information regarding the danger of Lembang Fault so that the community can fully understand what it means to live side by side with a potential catastrophe caused by the Lembang Fault," he explained.

West Bandung Regency Government party, which was represented by Ir. H. Asep Sodikin, MUM., as the Region Secretary, said that the plan is to make the Lembang Fault Observatory welcomed by both the tourism and education perspectives. Therefore, the Lembang Fault Observatory will be designed to have a visitor-friendly spatial layout.

Ir. Asep also said that the West Java Regent welcomed the construction project with great pleasure due to the previous discussion between him and the collaboration team.

"Lembang is a recreational region, it would be great if the Lembang Fault Observatory can provide education to the community so that they can understand the sciences behind Lembang Fault and how to deal with it," he said.

Translator: Favian Aldilla Rachmadi (Civil Engineering, 2019)