A big part of Indonesia is located in the so called Pacific Ring of Fire and is therefore regularly hit by natural disasters. The impact of such disasters can be enormous as it became obvious after the severe seaquake and tsunami in 2004 and again and again since then. The province of West Papua is constantly threatened by earthquakes without being noticed internationally or even nationally in Indonesia.

In the coastal areas, the danger of a tsunami with many deaths is particularly distinct. Often, simple measures can avoid high numbers of victims during and especially after the disaster. The inhabitants of the Manokwari district that are almost completely indigenous and discriminated populations are neither aware of these possibilities nor of the dangers they face. Due to the weak structures they are not able to provide for the risks.