Earthquakes, tsunamis, and colonial vulnerability in the Banda Islands (19th–early 20th century)

¹ Department of History, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
² Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

^* Corresponding author: yennynarny@hum.unand.ac.id

Abstract

This article presents a study of major earthquakes that occurred across the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to assess how colonial spatial politics and economic intentions influenced local vulnerability and recovery. The resulting findings from a historical approach, utilizing colonial records, newspaper articles, geological assessments, and ethnographic remarks, suggest that the Dutch colonial government focused more on restoring nutmeg trading facilities than on humanitarian efforts for displaced persons. By contrast, the Banda population depends on cross-generational environmental literacy, community evacuation strategies, and the societal sense of gotong royong (mutual assistance) when faced with constant threats. Ultimately, these findings suggest that natural impacts do not inherently predispose vulnerability, but rather are historically mediated, resulting in an indirect benefit through colonial economic interests and governance. Therefore, access to such information is an equitable and socially just advantage for contemporary disaster risk reduction.