Building Disaster Preparedness, Deputy Chair of MPR Emphasises Shared Responsibility
Deputy Chair of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) of the Republic of Indonesia, Lestari Moerdijat (Rerie), has stated that efforts to build disaster preparedness among communities are closely linked to realising the values of the Four Pillars of Nationhood. According to her, disasters and their impacts must become a shared responsibility.
“The impact of disasters that occur presents a test of our social solidarity and our loyalty to the values of nationhood that we possess,” said Rerie in a statement on Friday (27 February 2026).
She made these remarks at the Four Pillars of Nationhood Socialisation event held by the MPR, themed Strengthening Knowledge-Based Disaster Preparedness, at the office of the Central Java Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in Semarang, Central Java, on Friday (27 February).
Rerie acknowledged that Indonesia is a nation blessed with abundant natural resources, but is located in a highly unstable region within the volcanic arc. “This condition presents extraordinary challenges that require community preparedness, which must not only be resilient but also responsive to disasters,” she explained.
According to this member of Commission X of the People’s Consultative Assembly (DPR), Pancasila values can serve as an ethical foundation for communities to adopt in facing disasters.
“The number of disaster victims is not merely a statistical figure, because we are dealing with souls that possess dignity. Moreover, the constitution mandates protecting every citizen by prioritising humanitarian values,” said Rerie.
Furthermore, this member of the NasDem party’s governing council urged disaster-affected communities not to position themselves merely as victims, but to become agents capable of helping to solve the problems faced in disaster management in their regions.
“The aspect of disaster protection mandated by the constitution must be realised by preparing and empowering communities to carry out prevention, risk reduction, and disaster preparedness education,” Rerie emphasised.
“Most importantly, we must ensure the realisation of science-based spatial planning that is understood by all communities, as part of efforts to mitigate disasters in our country,” she added.
The event was also attended by the Acting Deputy Head of Prevention at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Pangarso Suryoutomo; the Head of Operations of the Central Java Provincial Disaster Management Agency, Bergas Catursasi Penanggung; the Director of the Skala Indonesia Foundation, Trinirmalaningrum; and participants from the Central Java provincial government, civil society organisations, universities, and media outlets.