Thus, the provided disaster education may vary throughout Indonesia...Jakarta (ANTARA) - The implementation of the disaster education curriculum is an important part of Indonesia's efforts to mitigate disaster risk, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (PMK) Muhadjir Effendy said here on Thursday.
At the “2023 National Coordination Meeting for Disaster Mitigation,” he affirmed that the government will improve the disaster education curriculum that is currently being used in schools.
"The implementation (of the curriculum) will continue to be bolstered to increase (the community’s) awareness and understanding of disaster mitigation (from an early age)," he said.
The curriculum will be adjusted to the characteristics of the disasters which occur often in the respective region, he added.
"Thus, the provided disaster education may vary throughout Indonesia, since it will be adjusted to the characteristics of disasters as well as to the conditions, needs, and local wisdom of each region," he said.
Through this attempt, the government is expecting that the younger generations will gain a broad understanding and insight into disaster mitigation, he added.
Effendy also highlighted the importance of mapping disaster-prone regions to mitigate disaster risk.
In addition, he stressed the need for strengthening the disaster early warning system, addressing spatial problems, and increasing earthquake-resistant construction.
On the same occasion, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called on regional governments to include disaster risk in their development plans and prepare a budget for disaster mitigation and handling attempts.
Meanwhile, an academic from Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed), Indra Permanajati, said that the community has an important role in disaster mitigation attempts to reduce the impacts of disasters.
For instance, the community can take part in cleaning rivers and drainage, carrying out reforestation, as well as establishing infiltration wells to prevent flooding, he added.
Permanajati, who also serves as the coordinator for geological disasters at the Unsoed Mitigation Center, said that community education and dissemination of information on disaster mitigation must be continued.
"Education (on disaster mitigation) can be provided (to the community) early by including it in the curriculum of elementary, secondary, and tertiary education," he added.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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