Mapping District-Level Asbestos Exposure Risk in Java, Indonesia: Integrating Infrastructure, Demographics, and Seismic Vulnerability

Abstract

(1) Background: Indonesia is one of the world’s largest consumers of asbestos, with widespread use of asbestos-cement roofing across residential and public buildings. Java Island, characterized by high population density and seismic vulnerability, presents a complex risk landscape for asbestos exposure. Despite the scale of this hazard, systematic risk assessments remain limited. This study aimed to develop a district-level asbestos exposure risk map for Java by integrating asbestos roof prevalence, population density, and seismic hazard, thereby providing an evidence base for targeted public health and disaster preparedness interventions. (2) Methods: A descriptive, semi-quantitative approach was applied using secondary data from national statistics and geological hazard portals. Three variables—asbestos roof prevalence, population density, and seismic hazard—were categorized into five ordinal levels (very low to very high) and combined using GIS-based risk matrices to generate composite exposure risk maps. (3) Results: Of 119 districts/municipalities, 36% were classified as very high risk and 38% as high risk. Major metropolitan corridors (e.g., Greater Jakarta, Bandung) showed very high risk due to extreme population density, while several southern coastal districts exhibited elevated risk primarily due to high seismic hazard. Districts with low asbestos prevalence but high population density and seismic hazard also emerged as critical areas. (4) Conclusionss: The mapping reveals that asbestos exposure risk in Java is both widespread and heterogeneous, shaped by the intersection of infrastructure, demographics, and seismic vulnerability. The resulting risk map offers a practical tool for prioritizing asbestos control, public awareness campaigns, health surveillance, and disaster risk reduction measures in Indonesia.