Yogyakarta marks 20 years since quake with resilience drive

The ministry’s Assistant Deputy for Disaster Risk Reduction, Andre Notohamijoyo, stated here on Friday that the commemoration of the two-decade Yogyakarta earthquake serves as an important momentum to rebuild collective memory while strengthening preparedness against future disaster risks.

“This activity is also part of strengthening the ‘Kita Tangguh’ (We are Resilient) flagship program, which promotes a pentahelix collaborative approach involving the government, academia, the business world, the media, and the community,” he said.

The first day’s activities began with a visit and SPAB educational session at SMAN 1 Kalasan, attended by students, educators, the local government, and disaster management stakeholders.

During the event, participants received materials regarding a disaster-resilient culture, potential earthquake threats, rescue and evacuation procedures during an earthquake, and the disaster reporting system through the Jogja Digdaya platform.

Notohamijoyo emphasized that schools play a strategic role in increasing the preparedness of school members, including students, teachers, and education personnel, so that they know the steps to take during a crisis.

“Schools are encouraged to integrate disaster education into curricula and extracurricular activities to build a disaster-resilient culture from an early age. Through SPAB, we are not only protecting the school ecosystem but also shaping a generation that is resilient to disaster risks,” he explained.

The SPAB activities also featured disaster preparedness simulations, interactive discussions evaluating the implementation of the program, and awards for parties demonstrating strong commitment to SPAB implementation in Yogyakarta.

Related news: Yogyakarta is an earthquake-prone area: BMKG

Translator: Victorianus, Kenzu