Bandung: The Mild and Humid Capital of Parahyangan

Bandung as we all know is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia and the largest city in West Java with 2,452,943 population. Bandung lies within the center of Bandung basin, a geological ancient lake that has been dried and occupied by Sundanese people. The Sundanese people called Greater Bandung region as a realm, called Parahyangan. Parahyangan is a cultural and mountainous region in West Java province on the Indonesian island of Java. Covering a little less than one sixth of Java, it is the heartland of Sundanese people and their culture. It is bordered to the West by Banten province, to the North by the northern coast region of Subang, Cirebon and Indramayu (former residence of Batavia and Cheribon), to the east by Central Java province (former residencies of Banyumas and Pekalongan), and to the south by the Indian Ocean.

The name "Parahyangan '' has its origins from Sundanese words that mean "the abode of hyangs (gods)". Parahyangan is a mountainous region, and ancient Indonesians believed that the gods resided in the mountain tops. A Sundanese legend of Sangkuriang contains the memory of the prehistoric ancient lake in Bandung basin highland, which suggests that the Sundanese had already inhabited the region since the Stone Age era. Another popular Sundanese proverb and legend mentioned about the creation of Parahyangan highlands is: "When the hyangs (gods) were smiling, the land of Parahyangan was created".

When we talk about topography in Bandung, it always correlates with its humid and relatively low average temperature (around 23°C) compared to the average temperature in tropical Indonesia (27°C). It was caused mainly due to Bandung’s elevation of around 670 to 750 meters above mean sea level. Bandung is also a humid province capital with average rainfall around 167.5 mm and relative humidity about 80% annually. Those humid conditions is setted up due to its basinal topography and proximity to high elevation mountains surrounding it, making orographic rain formed prominently. The atmospheric conditions in Bandung are usually foggy during early morning and moderate to heavy showers during afternoon. However, during iGeo 2023 in August, the weather would most likely be humid, foggy in the morning, but little or no chance of rain in the afternoon due to the onset of the Australian monsoon.

With its basin topography, Bandung is also prone to air pollution issues. Its lack of public transportation infrastructure and density of medium to heavy industries in the southern part really exacerbates the problem. The basin topography contributes to the easy development of an inversion layer or inversion lid, sitting on top of the city. This prevents the polluted air from rising and disperse well to the open atmosphere. Combined with high concentrations of pollutants, the episode of smog often occurs during the early morning and evening hours. So, it is recommended for the participants and team leaders to wear face masks during outdoor activities in those hours.

Talking about the climate and weather of Bandung, at last it would be beneficial to recommend you how to dress and get your best Outfit of The Day (OOTD) during the iGeo 2023, especially during the field works or other outdoor informal activities. For those of you who come from temperate climates, it would not be as hot as other Indonesian cities, so wearing the same outfit during the spring would be as comfortable as it is in your home country. For those of you who come from tropical countries, it would feel a little bit colder, so wearing a long sleeve and preparing light jacket are very recommended. However, these recommendations are only for informal and outdoor activities, during formal events such as ceremonies and expo, it is very important to note that you should wear shirts with a collar and long trousers or proper skirt.

Below are examples of OOTD that you could wear during your stay in Bandung.

References

BMKG. (2022). Buletin Informasi Iklim Tahun MMXXII. Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics Agency.

Brahmantyo, B., Yulianto, E., Sudjatmiko. (2001). On the geomorphological development of Pawon Cave, west of Bandung, and the evidence of a prehistoric dwelling cave. Jurnal Teknologi Mineral.

Lentz, Linda. (2017). The Compass of Life: Sundanese Life Cycle Rituals and the Status of Muslim Women in Indonesia. Carolina Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-61163-846-2.