Opening Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the 7th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2022, Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, Nusa Dua, Bali Province, May 25, 2022
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
May peace be upon us all,
Om swastiastu.
Distinguished Fifth President of the Republic of Indonesia Ibu Megawati Soekarno Putri,
Distinguished Vice President of Zambia Her Excellency Mutale Nalumango;
Distinguished Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Her Excellency Amina J. Mohammed,
Distinguished President of the General Assembly, Special Representative of the United Nations His Excellency Abdulla Shahid,
Distinguished Ministers, Governors, Head of the National Agency for Disaster Management,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Indonesia is a country prone to disasters. In 2022 alone, as of May 23, there have been 1,613 disasters and on average there are 500 occurrences of small-scale to large-scale earthquakes in a month. The last largest earthquake with a Tsunami occurred in Palu in 2018, causing the death of 2,113 people. With 139 active volcanoes, volcanic eruptions also threaten the Indonesian people. Throughout 2015 to 2021, there were 121 volcanic eruptions in Indonesia. Forest and land fires are also a threat.
Forest and land fires in 1997-1998 were the largest forest fires that have ever occurred in Indonesia, burning more than 10 million hectares of land throughout Indonesia. With various efforts, we managed to minimize forest and land fires. In 2021, Indonesia has succeeded to restore 3.4 million hectares of peatlands, to maintain and revitalize mangrove forests with a total area of more than 20 percent of global mangrove area, approximately 3.3 million hectares. Indonesia also managed to reduce forest fires from 2.6 million hectares to merely 358,000 hectares in 2021.
Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
The COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years is the world’s biggest disaster, infecting 527 million people, taking the life of 6.3 million people, causing 7.5 million children to lose their parents. The Indonesian Government has implemented a dynamic policy according to the current situation, has implemented the gas and brake policy to maintain balance between health care and economic aspects, and it has been proven to provide positive impacts. Indonesia that consists of 17,000 islands with a population of 270 million people has administered 411 million doses of vaccine. The number of daily cases also drastically decreased from 64,000 at the peak to 345 daily cases as of yesterday. And economic growth is maintained at 5.01 percent and inflation at a safe level at 3.5 percent.
Disaster resilience and preparedness truly determine the amount of loss inflicted by disasters. The less prepared we are, the bigger the loss, especially taking into account that the world is facing climate change.
Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
With heavy disaster challenges that may occur anytime, the Indonesian people and Government must be vigilant and ready to face disasters, to build an early warning multidisaster system, and to manifest a society who is aware of and resilient to disasters. Therefore, at this Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR), the Indonesian Government offers to the world concepts of sustainable resilience to respond to challenges of systemic risks to face all kinds of disaster, including pandemics, and also to support the implementation of sustainable development.
First, we must strengthen a culture and institutions of disaster vigilance that are anticipative, responsive, and adaptive in facing disasters. Disaster preparedness education as well as government and social institutions that are synergic and responsive to disasters must become our shared priorities.
Second, every country must invest in science, technology, and innovation, including in ensuring access to funding and technology transfer. Access to funding is an important issue, which we must handle seriously. Indonesia formulated a funding strategy and disaster insurance by establishing a pooling fund and utilizing Village Fund for uses and developments at village level to support measures of mitigation and preparedness.
Third, to build disaster-resilient and climate-resilient infrastructure. In addition to physical mitigation infrastructures such as dams, breakwaters, reservoirs, and embankments, green infrastructure such as mangrove forests, maritime pines at beaches, and vetivers to prevent landslides, and development of open green space must be a part of infrastructure development priority. We must pay serious attention to the protection of vulnerable groups living in high-risk areas.
Fourth, we must commit to implement global agreements at national to local levels. Sendai Framework, Paris Agreement, and SDGs are crucial international agreements for disaster risk and climate change reduction measures. I invite every country to commit and make every effort to implement them.
Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
Disaster risk reduction is an effective investment to prevent future losses. Therefore, we affirm Indonesia’s commitment to implement Sendai Framework and other international commitments. Indonesia is also ready to share experience and knowledge in mitigating disasters. As a disaster-prone country, Indonesia has accumulation of knowledge and experience that can serve as important lessons for the world, but Indonesia also wishes, really wishes to learn from international experiences. Let’s work together to mitigate the risk of disaster for a better life today and tomorrow.
That’s all from me on this special occasion. By reciting bismillahirrahmanirrahim, the 7th Session of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) in 2022 is officially open.
I thank you.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
(DH/LW)