Urgency of disaster resilient village-geosite program: unveiling the critical need for strengthening connections between geosites and village communities

The Disaster Resilient Village Program (Destana) is a program that held by National and Regency Disaster Management Agency. However, the connection of Destana to the holistical aspect such as geologic landscape aspect is a discoursive material that appeals to many disaster management practitioners, scholars, international donors or governments. This study aims to explore the urgency of Disaster Resilient Geosites-Village Program from the risk condition, regulation, and community perception. Geopark Jogja and Geopark Gunung Sewu with their 20 geosites was purposively selected as the site of investigation. A qualitative research method involving focus group interviews (FGI), interviews, risk analysis using InaRisk, and regulatory analysis was used to explore and capture urgency of Disaster Resilient Village Program in geosites context, that called as Disaster Resilient Geosites-Village Program. Based on the results, several essential urgency were underlined for all approaches as follows: (1) all village with geosites have high to medium risks of disasters (2) geosites facing decline in the physical and environmental carrying capacity, which consequently leads to increased disasters risks for the community villages (3) local wisdom that develops in geosite areas is beneficial for disaster risk reduction efforts, and (4) well-conserved geosites support the local economic resiliency through tourism and geoproducts. These urgencies are expected to improve the community resiliency through a program aimed at reducing disaster risk through the mainstreaming of geosite functions into village-level policies and actions to enhance community resilience. This urgency study can stimulate community-level pilot projects that can be replicated in other areas or even elevated to government-level policies


Introduction
The Natural Science Sector of UNESCO oversees two programs dedicated to identifying sites of significant international value.These programs are the International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP) [1] and the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme [2].Through these programs, UNESCO grants international designations such as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (BR) and Global Geopark (UGGp).These designations work in tandem with other UNESCO recognitions, including World Heritage Sites.BRs and UGGps are natural sites acknowledged by UNESCO for their conservation of global biological, geological, and cultural diversity, as well as their promotion of sustainable economic development for present and future generations.The same commitment is announced in Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present Generations Towards Future 1314 (2024) 012033 IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1314/1/012033 2 Generations, at the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, meeting in Paris from 21 October to 12 November 1997 at its 29th session [3].
A Geopark (GP) refers to a territory that features a specific geological heritage site of significance and implements a sustainable development strategy for territorial protection [4].The concept of a Geopark was initially developed in Europe in 1989 [5], and UNESCO supported the establishment of the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) in 2004.In 2015, UNESCO introduced the label "UNESCO Global Geoparks" to further recognize and manage geologically significant sites and landscapes through a comprehensive approach encompassing protection, education, and sustainable development.At present, 195 geoparks are found in 48 countries as of 2023 [6].Geoparks serve as repositories of Earth's history and encompass archaeological, ecological, historical, and cultural values, thereby playing a crucial role in education, science, and socio-economic development.UGGps, on the other hand, examine the enduring positive interaction between people and nature and serve as learning sites for sustainable development.
UGGps mandate for sustainability of present and future generations have a strong relation with disaster risk reduction mandate.In Indonesian context, people of Indonesia is exposed and vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, flooding, droughts, landslides and epidemics [7].Geosites also serve a role in disaster risk reduction.Many geoparks take similar approaches to defining geo-heritage sites, which will usually address one of those disasters [8].In Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu Geopark Area in Sukabumi Regency, Indonesia, some locations of geosites are found vulnerable of geological hazards, including collateral hazards such as tsunami, landslide, liquefactions, etc.The risk itself rising due to higher concentration of people and infrastructures because of geopark assignment [9].Investment of infrastructures is commonly known as key to economic growth, yet it also increases the risk of disasters if built in disaster-prone areas [10].
The landscape and geological condition of a village is contributing to the exposure and vulnerability, such as in the case of Loli Dondo Village, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, that the elongated hills contributing to the easier access for community to evacuate from tsunami [11].In the context of exposure and vulnerability, the mobilization of all geological aspects becomes crucial in order to reduce the risk of losses and casualties.Such as the case of the sand dunes in Parangtritis, Yogyakarta, which function as a mitigation tool against tsunamis.Sand dune may be used as tsunami protection as long as its crest is high enough, with stable slope and the longer is the crest [12].Thus, geosites is capable to be improved to have a strong relation with the disaster risk reduction measures.In Japan, they collaborate the geoparks with educational programs in disaster management and provide information about the geological history of disasters [8].
The primary objective of this study is to examine urgency of Disaster Resilient Village-Geosite Program, a program aimed at reducing disaster risk through the mainstreaming of geosite functions into village-level policies and actions to enhance community resilience.This concept is adapted from the concept of Disaster Resilient Village Program (Destana), but with geosite and geological aspects as main tools to empowering community.Destana itself is a program to improve community preparedness in the face of disasters.This program suggests that people are being educated to be more independent and adaptive [13].Gunung Sewu Geopark is one of the UGGp in Indonesia, thus purposively selected as the site for research.This exploration is crucial due to the occurrence of activities that may hinder geopark conservation efforts, thereby influencing disaster resilience.This urgency study can stimulate community-level pilot projects that can be replicated in other areas or even elevated to government-level policies.

Materials and Methods
A qualitative research methodology, comprising focus group interviews (FGIs) and individual interviews, was employed to explore and capture community narratives, aiming to analyze the urgency of the disaster risk reduction approach at the village level of geosites.Qualitative research is a research procedure that generates descriptive data in the form of spoken or written words, as well as observed behaviors [14].Regulations, policies, and studies served as foundational data, specifically used to gain an overview of the conditions by examining various fundamental aspects of hazards and vulnerabilities, including threats to geosites.Further, it discover how the regulation explain the actual condition in community [15].InaRisk Personal is used to obtain data related to disaster risk at the village level, as the Disaster Risk Assessment documents at the district level only assess up to the subdistrict level.InaRisk is a disaster risk assessment portal managed by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) with support of United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) that utilizes ArcGIS Server to display information on disaster hazard coverage, vulnerability (population, physical, economic, and environmental losses), disaster capacity, and risk within a specific area [16].Data from InaRisk serves as a baseline and reference material for in-depth interviews and focus group interviews (FGIs) during the research process.Interviews and FGIs were conducted with the community residing in 20 villages with geosites and are directly involved in policy-making, implementation, and/or actions related to the utilization of geosites and disaster risk reduction in the village.Participatory discussion with learning enables local people to share, enhance and analyse their knowledge of life and conditions, as well as to plan and act [17].Field studies used and proved beneficial in observing firsthand the authentic societal situation within their respective geosite contexts.Field studies, combined with other methodological approaches, were valuable in testing, updating, and verifying the foundational data obtained through regulatory reviews.

Geosites Sustainability Issues Arising in Governor of Yogyakarta Regulation No. 71/2022 on
Geopark Management Governor of Yogyakarta Regulation No. 71/2022 on Geopark Management mention the presence of two geoparks in Yogyakarta, namely Geopark Jogja, which includes all geosites within the City of Yogyakarta, Sleman Regency, Bantul Regency, and Kulonprogo Regency, and Geopark Gunungsewu, specifically focusing on the Gunungkidul segment, includes all geosites within Gunungkidul Regency.This section will analyze the vulnerabilities associated with these geosites, including activities that may endanger their sustainability.Geosites that assessed in this regulation are limited to 20 geosites.
This regulation mention the issues related to sustainability of geosites, One approach is to prohibit activities that lead to the exploitation of rock objects, which can pose a threat to the physical and environmental carrying capacity of geosites.When the physical and environmental carrying capacity of a geosite is nearing its limit, vulnerabilities arise, and in some geosites, landslides become more likely to occur.In other geosites, the capacity to mitigate disasters may be lost, for example, if sand dunes lose their height and stability to block tsunamis.
As described by Table 1, 75% of geosite in Yogyakarta is facing challenges related to the exploitation of rock objects through activities such as rock taking, sampling, and mining.These activities can potentially exceed the physical and environmental carrying capacity of the region [18].In this regulation, in Appendix E of the instructions for managing core zones, buffer zones, and geosite development, nearly 50% of the geosites in Yogyakarta are instructed to prohibit mining and rock extraction in order to preserve the physical and environmental carrying capacity of the geosites, as specified in Table 2

Disaster Risk in Village with Geosites
Risk assessment in villages with geosites is conducted using InaRisk Personal by placing location points in 20 villages that have geosites.This assessment yields data indicating that all villages with geosites have disaster risks, although the types and levels of risks may vary.However, each village at least has a moderate level of disaster risk.The results of using InaRisk indicate that 95% of villages with geosites have the risk of earthquakes, while 85% of villages have the risk of landslides.Among the villages at risk of earthquakes, 26% have a high level of risk, 42% have a medium risk, and the remaining villages have a low risk.In terms of the risk of landslides, 59% of the villages have a high risk, 35% have a medium risk, and only one village has a low risk.

The decline in the physical and environmental carrying capacity of geosites increases the community's risk to disasters.
The results of interviews with disaster activists in 20 villages with different geosites show that only two villages have an understanding that a decline in the physical and environmental carrying capacity of geosites increases the community's risk of disasters.In Parangtritis Village, Suroso, the Head of the Parangtritis Village Disaster Risk Reduction Forum (FPRB), explained the relationship between tsunamis and the capacity of sand dunes."We have gained a lot of understanding that sand dunes can serve as a barrier against tsunamis, thus reducing the risk of damage in the event of a tsunami.However, currently, mismanagement of the sand dunes has caused them to become flat.This is because off-road vehicles are allowed to operate there and have become a form of tourism.When the sand dunes become flat, the tsunami barrier function is lost," said Suroso.Suroso's statement is relevant to the study of the function of sand dunes in Parangtritis as a natural barrier that impedes the speed of tsunami waves or erosion.Sand dunes can slow down the speed of tsunami waves, and the wide spacing between the hills aids in disaster mitigation [19,20].Based on the research on Parangtritis, sand dune may be used as tsunami protection as long as its crest is high enough not to be overtopped.Overtopping may endanger the slope and hence a certain measure should be taken to strengthen the downstream slope [12].The sand dunes in Christchurch, New Zealand, are able to withstand tsunamis with a run-up height of ≤ 6 meters [21].Godean hills are the second place that have an understanding that a decline in the physical and environmental carrying capacity of geosites increases the community's risk of disasters.According to Riyanto, the Head of the Disaster Risk Reduction Forum (FPRB) in Kapanewon Godean, there have been discussions among the community members who are concerned that if the Godean hills are completely mined, it could bring strong winds disasters because there would be no barrier to protect them.The residents believe that the mountains are the 'Paku Bumi' (earth's nails), so if the mountains disappear, it can disrupt the balance of nature.In Sambirejo Village with breccia stone cliff geosite sucessfully transitioning the miners into tourism worker.According to Kholik, the head of the breccia stone cliff tourism management, changing the community's paradigm is achieved by providing an understanding that continuous mining of breccia stone will deplete the resource, whereas tourism management ensures sustainable income.Initially managed by the Community-Based Tourism Group (Pokdarwis) of Sambirejo Village, the breccia stone cliff tourism site eventually expanded, and management was taken over by the Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMKal).The tourism site employs approximately 500 locals from the surrounding area.These individuals work in various roles, including parking attendants, tour guides, office staff, cleaning services, information centers, medical teams, photographers, and more.
In Mount Purba Nglanggeran has now become an internationally recognized tourist destination, receiving several international awards.The management of tourism in the Mount Purba Nglanggeran area is handled by young members of the local youth organization, Karang Taruna, who manage the Mount Purba Nglanggeran Ecotourism Area.Through training provided by the Gunungkidul District Tourism and Cultural Office and the Yogyakarta Provincial Tourism Office, various lines of tourism, including education, culture, adventure, agriculture, and the environment, are now offered in the Nglanggeran area.

Conclusion
The analysis results highlight the urgent need for a disaster-resilient village-geosite program.This program is essential for strengthening the connections between geosites and village communities.On one hand, geosites have proven to provide security benefits against disaster risks, as seen in coastal areas protected from tsunamis by the presence of sand dunes.Additionally, communities can benefit economically through well-conserved geosites, as demonstrated by the hundreds of visitors each month in Nglanggeran Village and Sambirejo Village due to geosite tourism management.These two conditions underscore the importance of protecting the state of geosites, as they are continually threatened by excessive exploitation, which increases vulnerability and diminishes their protective functions for communities.Furthermore, it's important to acknowledge that the regions where geosites are located inherently face disaster threats.

Table 1 .
. Vulnerabilities in geosites that lead to a decline in physical and environmental carrying capacity (source: Governor of Yogyakarta Regulation No. 71/2022).

Table 2 .
List of geosites that instructed to prohibit mining and rock extraction (source: Governor of Yogyakarta Regulation No. 71/2022).

Table 3 .
Analysis of Risk Level on Specific Hazard (Source: InaRisk Personal 2023) Well-conserved geosites support the local economy through tourism and geoproducts.The results of interviews with disaster activists in 20 villages with different geosites show that wellconserved geosites support the local economy through tourism and geoproducts, with outstanding example in two geosites, namely breccia stone cliff geosite and Mount Purba Nglanggeran geosite.