"Stakeholders must consistently build awareness among the people in disaster-prone areas so that they understand the importance of emergency response steps when a disaster occurs," she said in a written statement received here on Monday.
According to Moerdijat, consistent emergency response training for people in disaster-prone areas is essential for preventing casualties when natural disasters occur.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) recorded 2,461 disasters in Indonesia from January 1 to November 18, 2021, she noted.
With that record, she said she hoped that the stakeholders in central and regions prioritize anticipatory efforts for dealing with the threat of natural disasters to avoid falling victim to them.
Such anticipatory efforts could include providing sufficient knowledge and understanding to the community, especially those living in disaster-prone areas, regarding several actions they must take immediately during a natural disaster, Moerdijat said.
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Then, dissemination of maps of disaster-prone areas and training related to emergency response measures aimed at people living in disaster areas must be consistently carried out to reduce panic when natural disasters occur, she said.
She then noted the importance of building public trust in the early warning system so that there is enough time for the community to avoid the impact of a more severe disaster.
For that reason, Moerdijat stressed that information that could be used to support efforts towards anticipating disasters be made accessible to the public and stakeholders so they can better tackle the threat of natural disasters.
She expressed the hope that the collaboration between stakeholders and the community for anticipating natural disasters runs well.
Because, without it, the potential for victims to emerge whenever a natural disaster occurs in the country will continue to increase, she remarked.
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Translator: Achmad Zaenal, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
