Integrating digital risk communication and indigenous knowledge in megathrust mitigation in Sukabumi Regency

Abstract

Indonesia’s southern Java coast faces a substantial threat from megathrust earthquakes and near-field tsunamis, where warning times are limited, and community preparedness remains uneven. This study examines how integrating digital communication tools with local and indigenous knowledge can strengthen disaster risk communication and enhance preparedness in high-risk coastal communities. Using a convergent mixed-methods design with a participatory orientation, fieldwork was conducted in Sukatani and Karangpapak Villages, Sukabumi Regency, West Java, between July 2024 and August 2024. Data were collected through focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews with village officials, Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) officers, traditional and community leaders, participatory observations, documentary analysis, and structured pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. The findings reveal three main patterns. Firstly, community understanding of megathrust risk was initially limited and influenced by fragmented information, diverse media framing and uneven disaster literacy. Secondly, village officials and traditional leaders served as trusted intermediaries by translating technical early warning information and locally embedded environmental knowledge into socially meaningful messages. Thirdly, participatory communication interventions were associated with improvements in disaster knowledge, preparedness and community-led initiatives, including WhatsApp-based coordination and locally organised evacuation procedures.
Contribution: These findings suggest that effective disaster risk communication depends not only on technological capacity but also on social trust, local leadership and culturally grounded communication practices that strengthen collective preparedness and community resilience.