President Jokowi: Disaster Mitigation is Important in Development

President Jokowi opens the National Agency for Disaster Mitigation (BNPB) National Coordination Meeting with the Regional Agency for Disaster Mitigation (BPBD) in Surabaya, East Java, Saturday (2/2). Photo by: Fitri/PR.

Indonesia is located at the ring of fire so that every development plan in the future must consider disaster risk mitigation, according to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“The Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) must understand the red zones and the green zones. The people must be strictly prohibited from entering the red zones,” the President said in his remarks at the opening of the National Agency for Disaster Mitigation (BNPB) National Coordination Meeting with the Regional Agency for Disaster Mitigation (BPBD) at JX International Exhibition, Surabaya, East Java, Saturday (2/2).

“Natural disaster in Indonesia has its own cycle. In West Nusa Tenggara (disaster occurred in) 1978 and in Palu (disaster occurred in) 1978/79,” the President explained, adding that Governors and Regents/Mayors should invite academics and experts to conduct research on disaster-prone areas to predict and reduce the impact of disasters.

“The expert analysis should be disseminated to the communities,” President Jokowi added.

The President went on to say that in time of disaster, the Governors will become head of emergency task force, and Regional Military Commander and Chief of Regional Police will become deputy commanders of the task force.

On that occasion, President Jokowi also said that the development of an integrated early warning system should be applied and the system should be based on recommendations and research from academics and experts.

The President also instructed head of the BNPB Doni Monardo to coordinate all concerned Government Ministries and Agencies to create and maintain the system.

He went on to say that disaster education, especially for communities living in disaster-prone areas, must begin immediately.

“Evacuation routes must exist,” the President said, adding that a periodic and regular disaster simulation should be conducted at the lowest level of community to increase the public readiness in dealing with disasters.

Also present during the event were Head of the BNPB Doni Monardo, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, and Governor of East Java Soekarwo. (GUN/ FID/ES)

Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Edited by: Mia Medyana