Indonesia’s disaster mitigation masterplan hinges on enforcement, community preparedness
analysis Asia
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation masterplan hinges on enforcement, community preparedness
A string of disasters has prompted Indonesia to draw up a mitigation masterplan. Experts tell CNA that one of the challenges is ensuring the capabilities are consistently connected and maintained across a country of more than 17,000 islands.
JAKARTA: Last month, an earthquake in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province killed at least 135 people, while Mount Anak Krakatau’s eruption earlier this month shut several airports for two days and disrupted flights. The country has also been battling forest and land fires in parts of Kalimantan and Sumatra.
These natural and manmade environmental disasters across Indonesia have underscored gaps in enforcement, early-warning systems and coordination between central and local governments, say experts speaking to CNA. They are not the only ones with this view.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto seemed to acknowledge as much when he ordered his government earlier this month to draw up a comprehensive disaster mitigation masterplan.
Indonesia’s location on the Pacific Ring of Fire leaves it vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, while climate change is intensifying risks from floods, landslides, droughts and forest fires.
Yet experts said geography should not become an excuse for disaster losses.
“This geographical factor represents a predictable natural condition,” said Daryono, who goes by one name and is the former director of earthquakes and tsunamis at Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
“The greatest obstacles to mitigation” include “unequal budget allocation”, weak enforcement of development rules in disaster-prone areas, and gaps in early-warning technology and community preparedness, particularly in remote regions, he added.
Details of the disaster mitigation masterplan have yet to be announced, and Prabowo did not say when it would be implemented.
“We should not wait for a disaster to occur,” Prabowo said on Sep 7. “It is crucial that we take preparatory steps well in advance.”
He said Indonesia should deploy more firefighting resources, including helicopters and water pumps, position small excavators in fire-prone villages and explore the use of heavy-lift drones.
On Sep 16, Prabowo said that the government had ordered large aircraft for water-bombing operations and reiterated his intention to strengthen agencies responsible for dealing with disasters.
PREPARING BEFORE DISASTER STRIKES
For disaster mitigation plans to work, experts said Indonesia must shift from reacting to such events to preparing for them, using scientific data and involving local communities.
Daryono said this means integrating a multi-hazard early-warning system with real-time sensors, updated seismic networks, tsunami detection and volcanic hazard mapping. Crucially, warnings must translate into swift action on the ground without bureaucratic delays, he added.
Indonesia is not starting from scratch. It already has a tsunami early-warning system, round-the-clock seismic and volcanic monitoring, disaster-resilient village programmes and a strong tradition of mutual assistance that helps communities mobilise quickly during emergencies, Daryono said.
The challenge is ensuring these capabilities are consistently connected and maintained across a country of more than 17,000 islands.
“Indonesia’s sluggish disaster response is a structural vicious cycle as it treats preparedness as a mere administrative formality rather than a national development priority,” Daryono said.
He cited the 2018 Palu earthquake and tsunami, when widespread destruction overwhelmed local authorities.
Meanwhile, during Cyclone Seroja in East Nusa Tenggara in 2021, the archipelagic geography made it difficult to reach affected communities and deliver aid. Agencies had to work together, with Indonesian navy vessels deployed to reach some areas.
Daryono said this highlighted the need for better coordination between central and regional governments, backed by a unified command structure and clear systems for budgeting and logistics.
INVESTING IN PREVENTION
Natural disaster funding has historically tilted towards emergency spending after an event, rather than sustained investment in maintaining mitigation infrastructure and early-warning technology, said Daryono.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) received 491 billion rupiah (US$27.5 million) this year, which is down sharply from last year’s 2 trillion rupiah budget.
The government agency is now asking for an extra 564 billion rupiah budget for this year.
Iqbal Damanik, climate and energy manager at Greenpeace Indonesia, said the country has a gap between the government’s planning and budgeting.
“Why was the budget allocated to BNPB so low? Because, in the planning stage, it simply wasn’t considered important,” he told CNA.
Daryono also called for dedicated disaster-prevention funding, wider preparedness education in schools and regular community drills to make evacuation an ingrained response during emergencies.
Equipment also needs maintenance, not just procurement, he noted.
Indonesia’s disaster technology, including buoys and seismic sensors, has at times suffered from inadequate maintenance funding and vandalism, said Daryono.
He proposed having local communities carry out regular maintenance to help safeguard equipment.
For example, community leaders can act as official guardians of certain equipment, or trained locals can perform regular checks.
ADDRESSING THE UNDERLYING RISKS
Southeast Asia’s biggest economy faces not only geological hazards but also increasingly intense weather-related events - such as floods, droughts and storms - linked to the climate crisis, said Iqbal of Greenpeace.
For weather-related disasters, the masterplan should include measures that reduce the underlying environmental risks, he said.
These could include protecting and restoring peatlands and mangroves, re