Project News

Mt. Semeru (photo on September 23rd)

Mt. Semeru (summit elevation: 3676m) in East Java Province was inspected. Mt. Semeru is an active volcano as the highest summit in Java Island and disasters caused by pyroclastic flows due to eruptions and debris flows due to heavy rains were immense at the slope from southeast side to east side. In 1909, debris flows reached until Lumajang city, 30km east of Mt. Semeru and 209 people fell victim. The debris flows occurred in 1981 flew in each river and reached to the Indian Ocean, 30km southeast from the southern part of Mt. Semeru and 369 people fell victim. Pyroclastic flows occurred in 1994 reached around 15km from the top of the mountain and 6 people fell victim.

Therefore, Sabo technical cooperation has been operated by JICA experts until now and Sabo dams, training levees, etc. by Yen loans have been advanced as well.

When we inspected on September 23rd, fumarolic gas was observed near the top of the mountain. Heavy rains always cause debris flows even now. For your information, the warning level of volcano about Mt. Semeru is second from the bottom (Waspada/Alert) among four levels.