Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at Limited Meeting on Progress of Natural Disaster Management via Video Conference at the Merdeka Palace DKI Jakarta Province Thursday, September 17, 2026

Thank you. I have called this video conference because I want to monitor progress and hear the latest updates on the situation.

We are facing various challenges due to disasters, including the earthquake in Flores, the current activity of Mount Anak Krakatau, and forest fires and haze, which remain issues for us all. This is our reality as a nation sit on the Ring of Fire. It means that we must be prepared to face such situations at any time. This also serves as a lesson for the Government I lead that we must significantly increase budget allocations for disaster mitigation.

I believe we will become more capable of handling such situations in the future. Even now, compared to previous years, our response has been very rapid. Regarding the disasters in Sumatra, in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, our response was massive and swift. Therefore, I thank all those who worked so hard. We restored the situation in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra using our own resources. In my view, we were quite successful in managing the crisis, and I extend my gratitude to everyone involved.

Also, I observe that our response to forest fires has been massive, while there may have been occasional delays, we have taken note of these instances so that we can take anticipatory measures in the future. I want our planning to be guided by the principle that ‘more is better than less.’ This means, and I ask the Minister of State Secretary to coordinate with Minister of Finance and Minister of the National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas on this, that having more helicopters is better. More water pumps are better. More firefighters are better.

We need to be ready before an incident occurs. Having more excavators, specifically small excavators stationed in villages that have traditionally suffered from forest fires, would also be better. Therefore, we will develop a comprehensive and large-scale disaster preparedness master plan.

Alhamdulillah, an aircraft carrier from Italy will soon join our Navy. We will refurbish and convert it into a carrier for helicopters and drones. It has the capacity to accommodate 10 medium-class helicopters, such as the Black Hawk or Mi-17, which can typically carry four to five tons of water. With 10 helicopters, we can quickly deploy them to areas with the highest number of fire hotspots. This will greatly assist our response efforts.

Furthermore, we must allocate aircraft for weather modification purposes. BRIN needs to conduct a study which substances are most efficient for accelerating weather modification. Additionally, we need to acquire water-dropping drones. There are drones large enough to carry and drop 50 kilograms of water. With 50 kilograms. Well, 10 drones would equal the capacity of one helicopter, right? Fifty… oh, wait, 50 times 10 is 500; that’s half a ton. Having these at the forefront would be extremely helpful. We must prepare for response and mitigation well in advance, rather than waiting for an incident to occur.

Regarding the Flores earthquake, I observe that our response has been substantial. However, I also want to check on the regencies I haven’t visited yet to see the situation on the ground, specifically, whether basic needs have been restored, and so on. I am awaiting reports, likely from Minister of Home Affairs regarding the situation, as well as Head of the National Disaster Management Agency  (BNPB). I will also request updates from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the Geological Agency under Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), which remains responsible for monitoring volcanoes. Next, I would also like the TNI Commander and the National Police Chief to report on the involvement of the TNI and the National Police in this response effort. Then, I will turn to Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) along with the Regional Military Commander and the NTT Regional Police Chief, to report on the progress of the post-incident response. Alright, I invite you to proceed now. BNPB, please do.

Okay, let us begin with a general situation report from BNPB please go ahead. (RIF/MUR)