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As early as the beginning of next year, Yogyakarta could have a volcanology museum in Hargobinangun village, Pakem, just a few kilometers away from the famous Kaliurang hill station on the slopes of Mt. Merapi, one of the world's most active volcanoes. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro officially kicked off construction work on the museum last month during a modest ceremony held at the 3.5-hectare site on land belonging to the village administration.
Named the Merapi Volcano Museum, the museum is a collaborative venture between the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Yogyakarta provincial government and the Sleman regency government. "We have set aside eight hectares of land for the museum. It will boast various attractions, including recreational and educational facilities," Sleman regent Ibnu Subiyanto said at the ceremony.
According to Ibnu, once it was in operation, the museum would be developed as an educational tourism attraction. So, it would not just be provided with facilities that were informative but also those that would be attractive to tourists. "Mt. Merapi is very unique. The peak keeps changing from time to time, both in form and height. The glowing lava is very attractive at night," Ibnu said.
Great views of Mt. Merapi with its beautiful natural scenery will be one of the attractions on offer at the volcanology museum, as it will also have an observation tower and a telescope plaza. Visitors will also be able to learn many things about volcanoes, especially Mt. Merapi, including how they are formed, how they can benefit people, and how they endanger living things in their vicinities.
"The dangers associated with Mt. Merapi need to be recognized by learning its history," Ibnu said. This should increase people's preparedness and awareness of the dangers of the volcano and thus enable them to react the right way whenever danger is present. Apart from the lava that it expels while erupting, Mt. Merapi is also infamous for its deadly, hot gaseous clouds that are locally known as wedhus gembel, as they resemble the woolly coats of sheep.
"One of the aims of the museum is to help publicize the existence of Mt. Merapi and increase people's awareness about what to do should the volcano erupt," Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro remarked. Indonesia, according to Purnomo, is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of volcanoes. Some 15 percent of the world's active volcanoes are in Indonesia. "That explains why Indonesia is also known as `the ring of fire'," said Purnomo, underlining the importance of the museum in educating people about volcanoes in general.
There are 129 active volcanic zones in Indonesia. They are spread across the country, covering nearly one-sixth of Indonesia's total land mass, with some 10 percent of the population living around them. Disasters and fatalities have been caused by both large- and small-scale eruptions. But the existence of volcanoes has also provided the community with prosperity thanks to the benefits they provide.
"This has inspired us to think about how people can live harmoniously with volcanoes in the sense that they can benefit from their potential resources while at the same time avoiding the dangers of eruptions." At another location, Ketep Pass in the neighboring town of Magelang, Central Java, people can observe Mt. Merapi from a different direction and learn about the volcano.
"But Ketep was designed more for tourists. The museum here is designed more specifically for educational purposes where students as well as researchers can perform studies on the volcano," Purnomo added. The museum will comprise two two-story buildings with a total area of 9,350 square meters. For the first phase, however, only some 2,950 square meters will be built. The rest will be constructed in phases as funds become available.
For the first phase, the central government has allocated nearly Rp 4 billion for the museum, while the Yogyakarta provincial government is allocating Rp 3 billion and the Sleman regency government Rp 345.5 million out of their 2005 budgets. "From the 2006 budget, we plan to allocate Rp 3.821 billion for the development of the museum," regent Ibnu said.
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