Mapping of Individual Preparedness for Earthquakes in Padang City

Abstract

Padang City is one of the earthquake-prone areas in Indonesia due to its location on the western coast of Sumatra, which is directly adjacent to the open sea, namely the Indian Ocean, and lies within an active tectonic collision zone between two major plates, the Eurasian Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate. Therefore, an assessment of individual preparedness levels toward earthquakes in Padang City was conducted to evaluate the readiness of the community in facing earthquake disasters. Preparedness refers to a series of actions undertaken to anticipate natural disasters through appropriate and effective measures. It plays a crucial role in minimizing the impacts that may occur following an earthquake event. The assessment of individual earthquake preparedness was carried out across the 11 sub-Sub-Districts of Padang City. The implementation of community preparedness was evaluated using three main indicators: (1) knowledge of earthquakes, (2) the structural condition of residential buildings, and (3) material preparedness, which includes the availability of food stockpiles, mineral water, medicines, flashlights, and radios. Based on the assessment results, the level of earthquake knowledge was categorized as moderate across all 11 sub-Sub-Districts. Regarding the condition of residential buildings, 59% of the structures were found to comply with earthquake-resistant standards. Only 5% of respondents reported having building insurance. Furthermore, 61% of respondents had access to the nearest evacuation site; however, 31% of respondents were unaware of the distance between their residence and the nearest evacuation location. In terms of preparedness levels, Padang Timur Sub-District and Bungus Teluk Kabung Sub-District were classified as having low preparedness levels, while the remaining nine sub-Sub-Districts were categorized as having moderate preparedness levels.