Assessment of Social Vulnerability to Kiematubu Volcano in Tidore Island, North Maluku

Abstract

Kiematubu volcano is often considered as non-volcanic, even though it consists of basalt material, since it has never erupted before. In fact, that small volcanic islands have a high risk due to their restriction on means and resources. The study aims to assess the social vulnerability of the community in Tidore Island that may be exposed to the eruption of the Kiematubu volcano. There has not been previous research in Tidore Island regarding volcanic vulnerability yet. The social vulnerability is an initial assessment of disaster management, which will affect in optimizing community's capacity then minimizing the disaster impacts. Social parameter of demographic condition, health facilities, and education facilities was weighted to assess social vulnerability. The result shows that the social vulnerability class of Tidore Island is dominantly low, approximately 80%, the rest is middle and high, with a percentage of 13% and 7%, respectively. Mostly, the low vulnerable villages are due to less population density. However, the highly vulnerable villages, Gamtufkange and Indonesiana, consist of very high and high population density. The southeast part of Tidore Island, where both villages are situated, is the center of human activities, such as governmental, trades, and education.