Mapping the Information of Social Vulnerability of Covid-19 Pandemic in Bandung City, Indonesia

Nandi Nandi (Department of Geography Education, Faculty of Social Sciences Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jalan Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229, Bandung 40154)
Klaus Greve (Geographisches Institut, Universität Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee, Bonn)
Arif Ismail (Survey Mapping and Geographic Information Study Program, Faculty of Social Sciences Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jalan Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229, Bandung 40154)
Wawan Setiawardani (Elementary School Teacher Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Darul Ma’arif, Indramayu, 45283)
Yuli Diani Rahmawati (Management Study Program, Faculty of Business and Humanities, Nusa Putra University, Sukabumi, 43152)
Khimmataliev Dustnazar Omonovich (Pedagogical Study Program, Chirchik State Pedagogical University)
Nurmamatov Sheroz Eraliyevich (Department of Physics, Chirchik State Pedagogical University)

Forum Geografi
Vol. 39 No. 3 (2025): December 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic has widened socioeconomic disparities in urban Indonesia, where studies on the interaction between demographic factors and population density are often overlooked. This leaves a gap in the holistic understanding of spatial vulnerability. This gap is pressing for Bandung, one of Indonesia's key economic hubs, where the lack of integrated, evidence-based data hampers mitigation efforts against the pandemic's impact. This research is motivated by the need to fill this gap by mapping the social vulnerability of Bandung residents to COVID-19. This study uses a multi-criteria approach (Analytical Hierarchy Process/AHP) using four main parameters: building density, population density, potential crowd locations, and demographic structure, to assess the level of social vulnerability. The analysis reveals that six districts Babakan Ciparay, Batununggal, Bojongloa Kaler, Cibeunying Kidul, Coblong, and Kiaracondong show very high social vulnerability. The study also identifies the distribution of COVID-19 cases and these social factors, particularly in densely populated and crowd-prone areas. Consequently, this study highlights the need for policy alignment to reduce social vulnerability and mitigate the impact of the pandemic in Bandung City. It also recommends increasing public awareness and strengthening health protocols to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission. These findings offer strategic direction for the government and stakeholders to develop more effective policies in dealing with future health crises.