The use of community radio in managing natural disaster in Indonesia

Abstract

The role of community radio can be seen in the real situation based on people's daily experiences since people use their own media to fulfill their need and to help them to answer their problems. While Indonesia has been recovering from the devastating of Aceh's Tsunami and Nias's Earthquake (2004), Java's earthquake (27 May 2006), Java's Tsunami (17 July 2006) and other natural disasters also confronted Indonesia in the following time shocked Indonesia. The position of Indonesia on the Pacific Ring of Fire, sandwich among three continent plates, and tropical region makes Indonesia has potential of various natural hazards such as earthquakes (volcanic and tectonic), volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, floods, landslides, and droughts. In disaster areas there are always a need about information, especially to evaluate their situation, how to get aid, and how to do with it. Community radio stations have shown in providing information to affected people. Some stations used internet to support their role. The phenomena of the use of community radio in disaster areas have raised some questions. How do people use community radio in emergency situation related to natural disaster? How do people manage functions of community radio in that situation? These main questions are my focus in examining the role of community radio as media communication of people at grassroots level in facing natural disaster. This paper will contribute to new knowledge about the development of community level communication in Indonesia, especially the use of community radio as a medium in dealing with natural disasters. Background This paper examines the relevance of community radio to people's daily experiences in the way they use their own media in fulfilling their communication needs and in helping them to answer their problems, especially during specific occurrences of natural disaster which occurred in many regions in Indonesia. Therefore, this paper locates community radio within the framework of people's initiative to take collective action in order to respond emergency situation caused by natural disaster. On 26 December 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter scale caused a giant wave which devastated coastal regions of several countries. Aceh, the western most province in Indonesia, became the region worst affected by the tsunami. Along hundreds of kilometers of coastline in this province, 180,000 people were killed and houses and buildings were flattened, making more than 500,000 people homeless. The tsunami made devastated areas became isolated areas because the damage communication infrastructure. Donor organizations, domestic and international, built community radio stations to help people to get information. Since the tsunami disaster in Aceh, the use of community radio in disaster area has been popular. It has been used by people at grassroots level for natural disaster management in Indonesia. The phenomenon of the use of community radio in disaster areas raises questions about: 1). How did people use community radio in emergency situations related to natural disaster? 2). How did they manage functions of community radio in such situations? These questions are my focus in examining the role of community radio as media of communication of people at grassroots level when facing natural disaster. To support community radio's functions, volunteers used internet. I present case studies of several community radio stations from various regions in Indonesia in order to show how people use their radio at such times.