Enhancing A System of Disaster Preparedness and Management: A Lesson from Indonesia

By: Agung Cahaya Sumirat

Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, as one of the most active tectonic plates in the world, Indonesia is a vulnerable country vis-à-vis natural disaster. The Aceh Tsunami in 2004 was a clear testament of the disastrous impact of the Ring of Fire’s activity. The earthquake and tsunami had caused enormous devastation along Indian Ocean. More than 230,000 people in fourteen countries were killed, of which around 220,000 victims were from Aceh. The Aceh Tsunami has undeniably become a lesson learnt for Indonesia in terms of disaster preparedness and management. This article wishes to elaborate ways to enhance disaster preparedness and management in Indonesia.

Source pic: http://www.dw.com/id/apa-yang-sebenarnya-terjadi-dalam-tsunami-2004/a-18141866

The objective of enhancing a system of disaster preparedness has been a must for Indonesia given its fragility of its geographic location in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Disaster can happen at any time which necessitates us to have a good system of disaster preparedness. Specifically, there is also a need to keep on educating the public concerning this matter due to the vast size of Indonesia with its more than 17,000 of islands. It is impossible to stop disasters. However, through the system of disaster management and preparedness, we are better equipped to prepare for the disasters and reduce their impacts.

The Positive Trends after the Aceh Tsunami

After the Aceh Tsunami, there has been positive trends in Indonesia in creating a better system of disaster preparedness. Firstly, there is a change of paradigm among the Indonesian including the government in relations to natural disasters. Before tsunami in Aceh, there was a common perception that Indonesia was a secure place to live in from any possible disastrous disasters. The tsunami has taught us a stronger awareness of living in an active plate of Pacific Ring of Fire.

Secondly, the Government has made number of initiatives in strengthening national institutional capacity in the management of disaster. In 2008 “Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana” or BNPB (National Agency for Disaster Management) was established. The Indonesian Government has also established the National Disaster Management Plan 2014-2019 and National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Thirdly, in 2007 law no. 24 concerning Disaster Management has been adopted. This new law has been considered as a breakthrough in the disaster preparedness system since it deals disaster intervention with a comprehensive manner including disaster mitigation, relief, recovery/rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Policy Options

In connection to the trends, there are numerous relevant policy options to consider among others are: firstly, given the vast size of Indonesia, there is a need to focus policy on continuously strengthening local capacities in regard to all phases of disaster response of relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. This policy may cultivate on local knowledge and wisdom as well as engaging community groups including vulnerable groups of women, children and people with disability. The local governments and local communities are at the forefront in facing any possible disasters.

Secondly, the government needs to continue its active role in enhancing regional and international cooperation with regard to disaster management and preparedness programme inter-alia through ASEAN and Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction as well as supporting the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction under the 2004 Hyogo Framework for Action.

Thirdly, the government should be in the driving seat in managing disaster at all management phases. During the tsunami in Aceh due to the magnitude of the tsunami, the government had been “forced by condition” to open the Indonesian territory to all types of international aid including the military aid. However, in the future the government should be in more control of all phases of disaster management and preparedness.

Policy Recommendation

Despite Indonesia has already had an established system of disaster management and preparedness, but Indonesia needs to continue and update our national capacity using the international benchmark of disaster management and preparedness. I would accordingly recommend that the Indonesian Government takes the option of focusing our active participation in enhancing international cooperation on the disaster management and preparedness.

International cooperation may serve two purposes: firstly, Indonesia will be continuously updated with more knowledge and expertise on disaster management and preparedness in the world. Secondly, Indonesia should be showing more leadership role in assisting other countries especially those who are in a process of building their capacities cultivating on the Indonesian best practice in managing the Aceh tsunami.

In this connection, the Aceh Tsunami management has then become a good case for Indonesia. International support to Indonesia had been enormous. Indonesia received more than USD 7 billion which had been very well managed by the Indonesian Government especially by the Badan Rekonstruksi dan Rehabilitasi/BRR Aceh (The Agency for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Aceh) which was established in 2005.

Indonesia has been praised internationally as a great success story for the disaster management. The BRR’s term of mandate was ended in 2009. At the end of its mandate, BRR was able to complete many projects inter-alia developing 13,000 houses, 3,600 new roads, 12 airports, 20 ports, 1,500 schools, 1,000 medical facilities, 987 government buildings, and creating 195,000 small scale and medium enterprises in Aceh.

Conclusion

The Indonesian fragility to natural disaster has been transformed so as to create a better system of disaster preparedness and management, which has incorporated all phases of emergency relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. In this regard, Indonesia needs to showcase a more leadership role internationally, including through assisting other countries in enhancing capacities in this area. In other words this also means that Indonesia is in a position to project more on its humanitarian diplomacy.

Jakarta, 11 March 2016