The Panggarangan Tsunami Ready Community initiative is a community-led disaster preparedness programme implemented in Panggarangan Village, Lebak Regency, Indonesia, to strengthen resilience against tsunami hazards along the southern coast of Java. Initiated and coordinated locally by the civil society organisation Gugus Mitigasi Lebak Selatan (GMLS), the initiative brought together residents, village authorities, volunteers, scientific institutions and national disaster-management agencies to fulfil the 12 indicators of the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme. Activities included tsunami hazard and vulnerability mapping, identification of exposed populations, community resource assessment, participatory evacuation planning, public education, awareness campaigns, tsunami drills and the development of an approved emergency response plan. Cooperation with Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and other partners also strengthened the capacity to receive and disseminate official tsunami warnings. Panggarangan obtained national and UNESCO-IOC recognition in 2022, demonstrating the practical application of a standardised community preparedness framework through locally driven participation.
Map
Panggarangan Tsunami Ready Community
General Information
ISIG
Panggarangan Tsunami Ready Community is a locally initiated disaster risk reduction programme that integrates citizen participation, scientific risk assessment and institutional preparedness to improve tsunami safety in Panggarangan Village, Banten Province, Indonesia.
The initiative was driven by Gugus Mitigasi Lebak Selatan (GMLS), a local civil society organisation, with support from village authorities, BMKG, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), community volunteers and other partners.
The programme followed the 12 indicators established by the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme, covering three areas: risk assessment, preparedness and response capacity. Activities included tsunami hazard modelling, identification of people at risk, resource mapping, participatory preparation of evacuation maps, public information campaigns, community workshops, evacuation exercises and development of an approved tsunami emergency response plan.
The implementation also established arrangements for receiving and disseminating official tsunami warnings. Panggarangan achieved national recognition in January 2022 and international recognition in November 2022, demonstrating that the community had fulfilled the programme's standardised preparedness criteria.
Panggarangan is a coastal village in Lebak Regency, Banten Province, on the southern coast of Java, facing the Indian Ocean. The area is exposed to seismic and tsunami hazards associated with the Indo-Australian subduction zone.
Scientific tsunami modelling documented by the International Tsunami Information Center indicates that, under a worst-case magnitude 8.7 earthquake scenario, potential tsunami inundation depths in parts of Panggarangan District could reach approximately 6–14 metres. These are scenario-based estimates and do not represent an observed event or a uniform inundation depth across the village.
The exposure of coastal settlements, tourism activities and local infrastructure created a need for stronger preparedness, including risk awareness, evacuation arrangements and reliable warning communication.
Following scientific assessments of the southern Java megathrust, GMLS began cooperating with ITB, BRIN, BMKG and U-INSPIRE Indonesia in 2021 to strengthen local tsunami preparedness. Activities included hazard modelling, settlement mapping, community resource assessments and educational interventions.
The initiative subsequently adopted the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready framework as a structured means of developing, documenting and verifying preparedness capacities at community level.
Hazard Type
Geographical Scope - Nuts
Population Size
Population Density
Needs Addressed
The initiative was developed to address the substantial tsunami exposure of Panggarangan's coastal population and gaps in community preparedness, risk awareness and emergency response capabilities.
Although national authorities maintain earthquake and tsunami monitoring systems, their effectiveness at community level depends on accessible information, knowledge of evacuation routes, clearly defined responsibilities and the ability to act rapidly following official warnings or natural warning signs.
Initial assessments highlighted the need to strengthen local understanding of tsunami hazards, develop reliable evacuation arrangements and increase the operational capacities of community organisations and educational institutions.
In the associated school preparedness programme, a 2021 assessment involving the school principal, teachers and 35 students identified weaknesses in disaster knowledge, emergency response planning and warning-system preparedness.
The initiative addressed these challenges through community-centred risk assessment, participatory planning, public education, volunteer mobilisation, operational procedures and the integration of local preparedness arrangements with national warning systems.
The programme addresses residents and visitors exposed to tsunami hazards, with particular relevance for people requiring additional assistance during warning dissemination and evacuation. Children and young people were directly involved through school preparedness activities, including risk assessments, emergency planning and evacuation exercises.
Panggarangan's preparedness model combines locally initiated civil society action with village-government involvement and technical support from national institutions and research organisations.
GMLS acted as the principal initiator and coordinator, mobilising volunteers, community representatives and external partners to implement the Tsunami Ready framework. Panggarangan Village Government contributed institutional involvement and legitimacy, particularly in relation to community planning and emergency-response arrangements.
BMKG provided technical guidance on tsunami risk and warning systems. ITB and BRIN contributed scientific expertise, mapping and capacity-building activities, while universities, volunteer networks and other organisations supported education, preparedness and communication.
The National Tsunami Ready Board assessed compliance with national recognition requirements, while UNESCO-IOC provided international recognition according to the programme's 12 indicators.
Panggarangan developed a comprehensive community tsunami preparedness system organised around the 12 UNESCO-IOC indicators.
Preparedness measures included designated tsunami hazard zones, identification of exposed populations and resources, approved evacuation maps, publicly displayed warning and evacuation information, community educational activities and practical evacuation exercises.
The village also documented an approved tsunami emergency response plan and arrangements for receiving and disseminating official tsunami warnings through redundant communication channels.
The recognition application records verification of the indicators, including community exercises, emergency response arrangements and warning dissemination capabilities.
The initiative strengthened physical, informational and organisational infrastructure supporting tsunami preparedness.
Infrastructure-related measures included hazard and evacuation maps, publicly displayed information boards, evacuation-route signage, identified assembly areas and evacuation locations.
The programme also established arrangements for receiving warnings from official sources and disseminating them to the public through multiple channels.
Documented warning and communication resources included BMKG warning services, digital communication, radio networks, sirens, local messaging systems and community communication arrangements.
Scientific and technical partners supported geographic information systems, inundation modelling and exposure mapping, including the use of unmanned aerial vehicles during the mapping activities.
Stakeholder engagement aimed to place the local community at the centre of tsunami preparedness by involving residents, community organisations and institutional partners in the assessment of risks, identification of resources and implementation of protective measures.
GMLS mobilised local actors and coordinated cooperation with scientific institutions, public authorities and volunteers. Residents participated in preparedness activities, including the preparation of evacuation maps, awareness campaigns and practical exercises.
Community engagement also supported the adaptation of tsunami information to local knowledge and communication practices, improving the relevance and accessibility of preparedness messages.
The wider objective was to establish enduring local capabilities for risk awareness, warning dissemination, evacuation preparedness and community coordination, while linking these capacities with official disaster-management structures.
The initiative employed a combination of community mobilisation, participatory assessment, educational outreach and practical preparedness activities.
Documented methods included participatory hazard and exposure mapping; surveys of village resources; collaborative design of public tsunami information materials; community participation in preparing evacuation maps; exploration of evacuation routes; public workshops and meetings; and door-to-door safety campaigns targeting residents and people working in tsunami hazard zones.
The programme also used educational materials, social media, WhatsApp groups, community tsunami drills and partnerships with schools.
In the associated school preparedness activities, teachers and students participated in risk assessments, operational planning, tabletop simulations and evacuation exercises. These methods strengthened practical understanding of emergency responsibilities and coordination requirements.
Local participants exercised substantial influence over the organisation and implementation of tsunami preparedness activities.
GMLS initiated and coordinated the process, mobilised partners and contributed to developing the community's operational preparedness arrangements. Residents participated in risk assessments, mapping, evacuation-route identification, educational activities and exercises.
Community organisations also had responsibilities for awareness dissemination and preparedness coordination. Technical institutions provided scientific assessments and guidance, while village authorities and relevant disaster-management agencies retained their formal responsibilities for approving plans and issuing official warnings.
The initiative strengthened community capacities through practical training, technical knowledge transfer, volunteer organisation and the development of locally usable preparedness resources.
Residents and community organisations acquired knowledge of tsunami hazards, warning procedures, evacuation routes and emergency response responsibilities. Participation in mapping and preparedness exercises created opportunities for locally generated knowledge to inform operational planning.
GMLS also developed organisational capabilities through sustained cooperation with research institutions, government agencies and volunteer networks.
School-based activities extended capacity-building to students and teachers, supporting the development of emergency procedures, designated response roles and practical evacuation skills.
Governance
Emergency Preparedness
Infrastructure Readiness
Engagement Level
Empowerment Level
Implementation
The initiative is distinguished by the application of an internationally recognised preparedness framework through a locally initiated, community-led process.
Its principal features include the systematic implementation of the 12 UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready indicators, covering risk assessment, preparedness and response; the use of participatory mapping to identify evacuation routes and vulnerable areas; and the involvement of local volunteers and community organisations in operational preparedness.
Scientific expertise was integrated through tsunami inundation modelling, geographic information systems and exposure assessment, while community knowledge contributed to the identification of local resources and the adaptation of evacuation and communication arrangements.
The programme also incorporated locally relevant communication practices, community workshops, door-to-door outreach, school-based preparedness and practical simulations.
Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), Sundanese (local communication and cultural adaptation), and English (international documentation).
Gugus Mitigasi Lebak Selatan (GMLS), in cooperation with Panggarangan Village Government, supported by BMKG, ITB, BRIN and other institutional and community partners.
GMLS is a local civil society organisation specialising in earthquake and tsunami risk reduction, community preparedness and public education in southern Lebak.
Its experience includes coordinating community risk assessments, educational campaigns, evacuation planning, volunteer mobilisation and preparedness exercises. Through its partnerships, the organisation has gained practical experience in applying scientific hazard information to community-level disaster risk management.
The successful completion of all 12 Tsunami Ready indicators and national and international recognition in 2022 provide documented evidence of its organisational and implementation capacities.
The initiative also benefited from the extensive disaster-risk-management experience of BMKG, BNPB, ITB, BRIN and other technical partners, whose expertise strengthened the scientific and institutional components of the programme.
- Gugus Mitigasi Lebak Selatan (GMLS) — community leadership, coordination and volunteer mobilisation.
- Panggarangan Village Government — local institutional participation and community preparedness arrangements.
- BMKG — tsunami hazard and warning-system expertise, guidance and verification.
- National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) — national disaster-risk-management framework and technical cooperation.
- Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) — scientific assessments, mapping, educational activities and preparedness training.
- National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) — scientific and technical support.
- U-INSPIRE Indonesia — youth-oriented scientific and disaster-risk-reduction collaboration.
- Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN) — education and communication activities.
- Radio Antar Penduduk Indonesia (RAPI) — community radio and emergency communication support.
- Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), Dompet Dhuafa and other volunteer and humanitarian organisations — training and emergency preparedness support.
- Local residents, community volunteers, teachers and students — participatory assessment, public education, evacuation planning and exercises.
- Private-sector and philanthropic partners, including PLN Peduli and other organisations documented in the recognition dossier — material, technical and organisational support.
- Initiate community mobilisation and establish partnerships. GMLS mobilised local volunteers and developed cooperation with village authorities, BMKG, scientific institutions and other organisations to strengthen tsunami preparedness.
- Assess tsunami hazards and local exposure. Technical partners supported tsunami inundation modelling, settlement mapping and identification of potentially exposed populations and infrastructure.
- Identify vulnerable populations and community resources. Local assessments documented people at risk and available economic, infrastructural, political and social resources relevant to preparedness and evacuation.
- Develop community-informed evacuation arrangements. Residents and technical partners contributed to identifying evacuation routes, preparing maps, designating safe areas and establishing public information materials.
- Deliver public education and outreach. GMLS and its partners organised workshops, educational campaigns, public meetings, door-to-door activities and dissemination through community and digital communication channels.
- Strengthen organisational and emergency response capacities. Community organisations and institutional partners developed response procedures, coordinated volunteers and supported school preparedness and emergency-management training.
- Conduct practical exercises. Tabletop, functional and full-scale exercises were used to test evacuation procedures, communication and the responsibilities of participating actors.
- Establish reliable warning arrangements. The community documented procedures and communication channels for receiving official tsunami warnings and disseminating them to residents.
- Undertake external verification and recognition. National authorities and UNESCO-IOC representatives reviewed documentation and conducted field verification against the 12 Tsunami Ready indicators.
- Maintain and periodically reassess preparedness. The Tsunami Ready framework requires continued outreach, exercises, operational maintenance and periodic renewal of recognition.
Implementation required a combination of community volunteers, institutional personnel, specialised scientific expertise, technical equipment and financial or in-kind support from partner organisations.
Technical resources included tsunami hazard and inundation models, geographic information systems, exposure-mapping tools, evacuation maps, communication equipment and access to official tsunami-warning services.
Human resources included GMLS coordinators and volunteers, village-government representatives, technical experts, teachers, students, emergency-management personnel and communication specialists.
Operational resources included spaces for community meetings and training, educational materials, warning and evacuation signage, identified evacuation areas, emergency response procedures and facilities for conducting practical exercises.
The programme's collaborative structure enabled access to expertise and resources contributed by national agencies, universities, community organisations and private partners.
February 2021
Initial cooperation established between GMLS, ITB, BRIN and U-INSPIRE Indonesia to strengthen tsunami risk-reduction capacities
2021
Hazard and settlement mapping, exposure assessments, community preparedness activities and initial school vulnerability assessment
13 January 2022
National Tsunami Ready recognition recorded
March 2022
BMKG field verification and review of preparedness indicators
2–3 July 2022
School-based evacuation and emergency-response simulations with technical and community partners
14–15 September 2022
UNESCO-IOC and national representatives conducted field verification in Panggarangan
November 2022
International recognition announced during the Indian Ocean Tsunami Ready Workshop
Experience of the Implementing Organisation in DRM
Target Audience
Resources Required
Timeframe & Phases
Participation Results
Panggarangan demonstrates that community organisations can play a leading role in developing comprehensive disaster preparedness arrangements when supported by appropriate institutional partnerships.
The initiative illustrates the importance of translating scientific hazard assessments into locally understandable information, practical evacuation plans and operational responsibilities.
Participatory risk assessment and evacuation planning strengthen the relevance of preparedness measures and enable local knowledge to complement technical expertise.
The involvement of schools and volunteers also provides opportunities to extend preparedness capacities across generations and embed disaster awareness in community life.
The UNESCO-IOC recognition process contributed an additional methodological benefit by establishing clear indicators, documentary requirements and independent verification procedures.
The initiative addressed several challenges associated with developing tsunami preparedness in a highly exposed coastal community.
The first challenge concerned limited public understanding of tsunami risk and the implications of scientific hazard assessments. GMLS and its partners responded through participatory mapping, educational activities, community workshops and locally adapted risk communication.
A second challenge was the limited technical capacity available at community level. Partnerships with BMKG, ITB, BRIN and other institutions helped make scientific expertise, mapping technologies and technical training accessible to local organisations.
Weaknesses in preparedness and emergency planning also emerged from assessments of nearby educational institutions. These were addressed through the development of operational procedures, the establishment of school mitigation teams and practical exercises involving teachers and students.
Another challenge concerned the coordination of responsibilities among community organisations, schools, village administrations and emergency-management institutions. The development and testing of emergency procedures supported clearer operational roles and communication.
The programme also required sustained effort to fulfil the complete set of UNESCO-IOC indicators. The phased approach allowed GMLS and its partners to progressively develop, document and verify the necessary capacities.
The initiative's risk-mitigation approach focuses on reducing community exposure and vulnerability to tsunamis through preparedness planning, accessible risk information and established evacuation procedures.
Hazard and inundation mapping provide the technical basis for identifying potentially affected areas, while population and resource assessments inform evacuation and response planning.
Approved evacuation maps, signage and identified safe locations support protective movement away from exposed areas. Public awareness activities and regular exercises strengthen residents' ability to recognise tsunami risks and follow appropriate safety procedures.
The emergency response plan defines institutional and community responsibilities, including warning reception, dissemination, evacuation coordination and emergency operations.
The use of multiple warning channels is intended to reduce dependence on a single communication system. Practical exercises help identify shortcomings in operational procedures and provide opportunities for improvement.
Risk & Mitigation Plan
Scalability and Sustainability
The initiative's sustainability is supported by the institutionalisation of local preparedness procedures, continued community participation and the involvement of established technical and governmental partners.
GMLS provides an organisational foundation for maintaining volunteer networks, coordinating educational activities and sustaining community engagement. Village authorities and national technical agencies contribute responsibilities associated with emergency planning, warning dissemination and preparedness infrastructure.
The UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready framework provides a structured maintenance mechanism through recurring educational activities, regular exercises and periodic reassessment of preparedness capacities. Recognition must be renewed every four years.
The availability of scientific and technical partners strengthens opportunities for updating hazard information, operational procedures and educational materials.
There is also documented evidence of continued disaster-preparedness activities in the wider Panggarangan area after the original recognition. For example, GMLS reported facilitating a November 2025 workshop in which 32 healthcare workers developed earthquake and tsunami emergency-response procedures. This demonstrates continuing organisational activity, although it is separate from verification of the village's 12 original indicators.
The Panggarangan model can be replicated in tsunami-exposed coastal communities through the adaptation of the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready framework to local risks, institutional capacities and social conditions.
The 12 indicators provide a standardised structure covering hazard assessment, population exposure, available resources, evacuation planning, education, exercises, emergency response and warning systems.
Replication requires cooperation among community organisations, local authorities, disaster-management agencies, scientific institutions and relevant communication providers.
Community involvement is particularly important for identifying locally appropriate evacuation routes, understanding the needs of exposed populations and adapting preparedness communication to cultural and linguistic conditions.
The approach is applicable to communities with different levels of technical and financial resources, provided that reliable scientific information, institutional coordination and sustained operational support are available.
Panggarangan offers a documented example of implementing this international framework through locally initiated collaboration, creating a reference for other exposed communities seeking structured preparedness recognition.
The initiative combines scientific risk-assessment technologies with accessible community preparedness and communication tools.
ITB and its partners used tsunami inundation modelling, geographic information systems and unmanned aerial vehicles to support settlement and exposure mapping. Digital mapping also contributed to the identification and documentation of evacuation routes.
Warning-system arrangements connected local preparedness actors with official tsunami information, including BMKG services and digital communication channels.
Public information boards, warning signage, evacuation maps and community communication networks complemented these technological components.
Direct implementation costs relate to the preparation of hazard and evacuation maps, technical assessments, public information materials, warning and evacuation signage, training activities, communication equipment and the organisation of community exercises.
Additional resource requirements include equipment and services used for exposure mapping, technical support for emergency planning and the preparation of documentation for Tsunami Ready recognition.
Recurring operational requirements include the maintenance and replacement of warning and evacuation signage, updates to hazard and evacuation maps, communication-system maintenance, educational activities, volunteer training and periodic preparedness exercises.
Institutional coordination and the maintenance of emergency response procedures also require continuing organisational resources.
The UNESCO-IOC framework establishes recurring preparedness requirements, including regular outreach and exercises, together with periodic renewal of recognition.
Community volunteering can reduce some personnel costs, while partnerships with technical institutions may provide access to specialised resources.
The Panggarangan experience illustrates the potential of internationally standardised preparedness frameworks to support locally driven disaster risk reduction.
Community leadership, combined with institutional and scientific partnerships, enabled the development of a comprehensive preparedness system covering risk assessment, public awareness, evacuation planning and warning dissemination.
The use of internationally recognised indicators facilitated the systematic documentation and verification of preparedness achievements, providing a reference for replication in other exposed communities.
Long-term effectiveness depends on maintaining local ownership, continued training and participation, reliable warning infrastructure and the resources necessary for periodic assessment and renewal.
Recognition represents an important preparedness milestone. Sustained resilience requires maintaining these capabilities over time and adapting arrangements as risks, population characteristics and institutional capacities evolve.