MP urges BMKG to provide consistent disaster education in Cilacap
A member of Commission V of the House of Representatives, Novita Wijayanti, has urged the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to consistently hold disaster education programmes in Cilacap Regency, Central Java, to improve public preparedness for the threat of earthquakes and tsunamis.
“Cilacap is truly vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis. That is why training like this is very important, not only for ourselves and our families, but also for the community,” she said at the opening of the Earthquake and Tsunami Field School organised by the BMKG’s Banjarnegara Geophysics Station in Cilacap on Wednesday.
She said Cilacap’s geographical characteristics, including its coastal areas bordering the Indian Ocean, meant that disaster mitigation efforts required particular attention.
She said participants were expected not only to apply what they had learnt to protect themselves and their families, but also to share that knowledge with people in their communities.
Speaking after the event, Novita said Cilacap needed three BMKG education programmes: the Earthquake and Tsunami Field School, the Fishermen’s Weather Field School and the Climate Field School.
She explained that Cilacap faced earthquake and tsunami risks, had a large fishing population and relied on agriculture to support food production.
She therefore hoped BMKG’s central office would expand these educational activities to reach more areas and involve participants able to pass on their knowledge to the wider public.
She also urged BMKG to make its training materials more effective so participants would understand how to protect themselves and their families in the event of a possible earthquake or tsunami.
Accurate weather information and early warnings were also needed by fishermen to help keep them safe at sea, and by farmers seeking to anticipate changing climate conditions.
Novita said sustained education could broaden public understanding of disaster mitigation and strengthen preparedness for the various potential threats facing Cilacap Regency.