American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR) 2024 AJHSSR Journal P a g e | 140 American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR) e-ISSN :2378-703X Volume-08, Issue-12, pp-140-147 www.ajhssr.com Research Paper Open Access MAPPING OF TSUNAMI VULNERABILITY POTENTIAL IN SABANG CITY, ACEH PROVINCE Mahara Sintong 1 , Dwi Wahyuni Nurwihastuti 2 , Mulhady Putra 3 , Syukri Hidayat 4 , Sahala Fransiskus Marbun 5 , Sendi Permana 6 123456 (Department of Geography Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia) ABSTRACT : This research addresses the tsunami risk vulnerability of Sabang City, Aceh, which is located near the Sumatran megathrust zone, one of the areas of highest seismic activity in the world. Sabang City is at high risk of tsunamis, with most of its area falling within the high to very highrisk zone. Through a Geographic Information System (GIS) approach, this study analyzed five main parameters: slope, elevation, land use, distance from coastline and distance from river to map tsunami vulnerability and evacuation routes. The analysis showed that more than half of Sabang City falls into the high and very high tsunami vulnerability categories, emphasizing the importance of effective mitigation and preparedness strategies. The evacuation route mapping produced in this study depicts five routes in Sabang City, Route 1 is the longest route, 35.21 km long and passes through eight villages in the eastern part of the city. Route 2 is the shortest route with a length of 0.85 km, located only in Iboih village in the northwest. Route 3 is 2.13km long and runs along the border between BateeShok and Paya Seunara villages in the central and northern parts. Route 4 is 1.29km long and is only found in Jaboi village in the southeast. Route 5 is 7.68 km long, passing through three villages (Keunekai, Paya, and BateeShok) in the southern part of the city. KEYWORDS –Vulnerability, Tsunami Risk, Sabang I. INTRODUCTION Earthquakes and tsunamis are natural disaster that dangerous human life. These natural disasters occur unpredictably and can have significant consequences for coastal areas and islands around the world (Usman, 2019). Tsunami waves are generated by a variety of causes, including earthquakes, underwater volcanic eruptions, large sea landslides, and outer space object (meteorite). Nearly 90% of the many tsunamis that occur on the earth's surface are caused by earthquakes on the seabed. Like the gentle swaying of ocean waves, tsunami waves cannot be felt or even observed in the middle of the vast ocean. However, when they reach land, these waves become violent waves that destroy everything in their path. Often these disasters are a threat to areas whose geology is related to active plate movements. In Indonesia, there have been a total of 110 tsunamis. Of these amouts, 100 tsunamis were caused by earthquakes, nine tsunamis were triggered by volcanic eruptions, and one tsunami was caused by sea landslides (Arief, 2011). Earthquakes are the main cause of tsunamis in Indonesia. The centers of these earthquakes are often located near subduction zones, which causes many earthquakes to occur along these subduction zones (Naryanto, 2008). Due to its geological position, the country is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, as is Indonesia. This geological condition causes Indonesia to become an archipelago. The largest part of this area is ocean and has the second longest coastline in the world (Pramana, 2015). The consequences of the tsunami were not only exacerbated by geographical factors, but also by the social and economic conditions of the Indonesian people. For example, high population density on the coast and inadequate infrastructure for disaster management (Rakuasa, 2022). According to data from the World Risk Report 2018, Indonesia is ranked 36th out of 172 countries most affected by natural disasters in the world with a risk index of 10.36. (Hadi, 2019)