Biclustering Method to Capture the Spatial Pattern and to Identify the Causes of Social Vulnerability in Indonesia: A New Recommendation for Disaster Mitigation Policy

Geographically, Indonesia is a meeting point of three continental plates. Scilicet, the Eurasian Plate, the Indo-Australian Plate, and the Pacific Plate. Therefore, Indonesia is part of the infamous volcanic zone called the ”Ring of Fire” and one of the areas prone to natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and landslides. This study aims to capture the spatial pattern and identify the causes of social vulnerability in the districts/cities in Indonesia using the biclustering method. The data is extracted from the Indonesian National Socio-Economic Survey (SUSENAS) by BPS-Statistics in 2014. The biclustering result indicates that each district/city has its own social vulnerability characteristics and shows that the vulnerable aspects of each district/city are different. The adjacent observations tend to have social vulenrability characteristics. The results of this study can be used as a reference for national disaster mitigation policy in Indonesia.