Indonesia: How Natural Disasters Are Affecting Its Citizens

Nineteen people have been killed in the recent cyclone hitting Indonesia’s Java Island. The cyclone swept through the island leaving thousands of residents without homes, with crops and food sources destroyed. Starting with torrential rain which caused mass land slides throughout the island, the citizens of the island have no intention on leaving to find safer ground. This is especially the case in the Datah village region where thousands remain in the danger zone of active Mount Agung. Despite this type of disaster being a common occurrence in this region, why haven’t people evacuated. We spoke to Professor Jeff Lewis in Media and Communications at RMIT University, to discuss what exactly is happening in Indonesia.