Since 29 May 2006, a mud volcano has been emitting hot mud in the Sidoarjo district of East Java, Indonesia. Mud volcanoes are geological phenomena due to overpressurized, subsurface mud layers. The cause of the eruption has not yet been established. However, it may be linked to the gas exploration activities by Lapindo Brantas at the Panjar Banji I well.
The mud volcano in the Sidoarjo district emits mud at an average rate of more than 40,000 m3 /day, and has inundated 4 adjacent villages, displacing nearly 7,000 people. Almost 12,000 medical treatments have been carried out, mainly for people affected by the release of hydrogen sulphide gas.
On 20 June 2006, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment (KLH) requested technical assistance with the identification of environmental impacts of the mud flow from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The OCHA Environmental Emergencies Section, in collaboration with the OCHA Field Coordination Support Section, deployed a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team with five environmental experts from 25 June to 6 July 2006. The team was supported by the Policy Support Team for Environmental Incidents (Bot-Mi) of the Netherlands. Following a second request made by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment at the end of the UNDAC emergency mission on 27 July 2006, an environmental expert was redeployed to Indonesia. The government of Switzerland kindly provided the expert for this follow up mission.
This report containing the technical findings, conclusions and recommendations, including results of analysis by the Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands from the first mission, as well as the report of the follow-up mission is available here.
