Yogyakarta DPRD prepares disaster management bylaw to strengthen mitigation

One of the main focuses of the Regional Regulation on Disaster Management is to build a more integrated and tiered disaster management system, from the village level, regency/city level, up to the provincial level.

“We are strengthening it so that emergency handling receives special treatment. Stakeholders carrying out disaster risk management activities must not be hampered by regulatory obstacles,” said Radjut Sukasworo, Chair of the Special Committee (Pansus) of DPRD DIY, in Yogyakarta on Saturday.

According to him, there are several strategic issues that are the focus of the regulation’s discussion, namely strengthening disaster management in a tiered manner, so that coordination and division of authority can operate more clearly from the lowest level up to the provincial government.

Then, the development of an integrated Early Warning System (EWS).

“This system is expected to be able to convey information about disaster threats to the public quickly and be easily accessible in real-time,” he said.

Next is strengthening the capacity of disaster volunteers, with the new regulation expected to provide clarity regarding the rights, responsibilities, protection, education, and capacity building of volunteers who have been one of the front lines of disaster management in the community.

He said the final issue relates to the regulation of Disaster-Prone Areas (KRB) and the relocation of residents living in disaster-prone settlements.

“The arrangement of disaster-prone areas and the settlement relocation system needs to be carried out in a planned manner so that risk reduction policies do not create new social problems,” he said.