Local Wisdom and Disaster-Related Collective Memory in Indonesian Communities

Abstract

This paper examines the dynamics of the existence of disaster-related collective memory and local wisdom in Indonesian communities—an increasingly crucial issue given the country's high vulnerability to natural hazards such as tornadoes. Historically, communities have developed adaptation and mitigation strategies through collective memory and local wisdom passed down across generations. However, modernization indicates the erosion of local wisdom values in traditional societies. This study aims to analyze the presence of collective memory and local wisdom practices in facing disasters, as well as identify the factors influencing their preservation or decline. The research employs a descriptive-analytical qualitative literature review, using secondary data from scholarly journals and research reports. The analysis was conducted thematically and comparatively across case studies. The results show that disaster-related collective memory and local wisdom in Indonesia still exist, though their presence varies and faces significant challenges. Memory is preserved through oral narratives, while local wisdom manifests in tangible forms such as disaster-resistant building structures (e.g., the Ciptagelar stilt houses resilient to earthquakes and winds) and land management patterns (forest zoning, huma systems to prevent landslides). Intangible forms include traditions, customary prohibitions (such as bans on brick houses due to earthquake risks), and customary laws that maintain environmental balance. Although local wisdom serves as mitigation, factors such as modernization and non-participatory policies can hinder its transmission. The study concludes that sustaining local wisdom requires strengthening cultural transmission channels and integrating them into participatory disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies, with local institutions and traditional leaders as key drivers at the community level.