Thus, on average, at least three disasters were reported every day, which is a concerning statistic, acting Head of the agency's Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center Abdul Muhari said at a press conference, accessed from here on Friday.
In terms of the types of disasters, Indonesia faced wet hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, landslides, and extreme weather, he informed.
These types of disasters are the most common in Indonesia, and have occurred in previous years.
Seven provinces recorded the highest rate of disasters in the first three months of this year: Aceh, West Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, and South Sulawesi, he informed.
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As per data from the agency, the seven provinces have been hotspots every year, recording the highest disaster incidence rates in Indonesia.
Thus, the agency urged the governments of the seven provinces to pay utmost attention to environmental conditions, rivers, and mountainous areas, which serve as water catchment areas.
It also advised them to pay attention to conditions along the rivers’ path for signs of narrowing or silting.
Muhari said that in March 2022, Indonesia experienced 358 disasters, while in March 2021, 537 disasters were recorded in the country.
"The number of disasters in March 2022 was less than March 2021," he pointed out.
He also said that fewer casualties were reported in terms of injured victims, stranded and displaced victims, as well as damaged houses, compared to the March 2021 period.
However, the number of dead and missing people was higher in March this year compared to the year-ago period.
"In March 2021, 17 people (either) died (or) went missing, while in March this year, there were 29 people (who died or went missing). That's an increase of 70 percent," he added.
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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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