My first understanding of such took place near the city of Yogyakarta where I currently live. Mount Merapi, a powerful and active volcano that keeps watch over the city, had violently erupted in October of 2010; mere months prior to my arrival in January of 2011.
There remains a huge swath of deforested mountainside through which the hot lava and ash flooded the areas below. Rivers were choked with volcanic ash and houses, businesses, and everything else was covered with ash that took months to remove (if the structure was still there and such was even possible). The damage was severe and the effects of the eruption are still very visible. At the time of the eruption (and maybe even now), people who lived in the area charged people to come in for a closer look at the destruction. I never partook in that kind of outing for I could see enough. The eruption of Merapi was a natural disaster and the business of Mother Nature...
Speaking of business, here's the "disaster tourism" site in Eastern Java near the city of Surabaya that I accidentally did visit. I don't regret it. A dear and much loved girl wanted us to take her with a friend to the "mud flats" so of course, we went.
I'm accustomed to taking pretty pictures (patting self on back). I realized I was doing this at this humongous mud plain...and then we started talking about it.
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| Taken from the elevated, gravel roadside of the site |
Even though I had seen it from the actual road more than a year ago and had therefore known about it that long, I didn't know 3 things. One, that the accident happened 7 years ago (!) Two, that it's an industrial accident resulting from a failed attempt to move the mud by-product from drilling (I believe for oil, but not 100% sure). And finally, that the people most affected, those who actually lost their homes, businesses, and sense of place, have yet to receive any compensation from the company (!) The company maintains that their machinery malfunctioned due to an earthquake that happened about 5 hours away....who knows, but anyway. It's a serious disaster. Luckily the mud flowed slowly and all of the community members were able to move to safety, but houses, businesses and PLACE was covered by mud...currently higher than the rooftops of the houses underneath by more than 12 meters....
The road around the site was clumped with people from the community looking to capitalize on the disaster. For me, and in a serious way, this is a much more troubling situation than the volcano. We know what caused this problem and that it was not natural. We know how long it's been a problem. We know who has received compensation and who has not. We also know that the owner of the company is now running for president (!)
Anything more on my part would be an assumption, but assuming things is not as taboo here as it is in the US. Even so, I'm not there yet. But I can imagine.
I decided a long time ago that in many, if not most, countries that are either listed as developing or were once listed as such, there are two things that are striking. One is that most are former colonies and two, they are not poor countries. The distribution of wealth is just skewed. Big time. Believe me. When I was in Brazil in 1985, I saw wealth. I see it here, too. But what I saw and continue to see more is non-wealth. Injustice. Systematic oppression and institutionalized efforts to minimize empowerment, specifically towards students, employees, and those deemed to be of the "underclass". I don't associate social justice with the former political systems of Eastern Europe. I associate it with democracy. Full access to opportunity. Accountability. And a governmental commitment to the general welfare.
This is one disaster tourism site that I shouldn't even have to mention. It shouldn't exist. But it does. And it has for seven years. The mud is still flowing. Steadily. Slowly. You can see the oil floating on top of the water in the fresh channels. You can feel the spongy, oil-saturated soil as you tread the settled mud. You can smell the oil in the air.
Can you imagine the water quality in the area? Do you know what happens when one mud producing area is plugged? Flammable gases pop up in random, unexpected areas. Can you imagine the possible health risks of all this "natural looking" industrial discharge? I can. And I'm sure the people who are still fighting for some kind of justice do a lot more than just imagine.
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| Had I stood here 7 years ago, I'd be level with the road. (and there'd probably be more activity on both sides of the street) |
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| Chips freshly plucked from a drier spot serve as tiles for safe passage across the unstable ground |
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