Show them we are a nation that is resilient, strong, and ready to face it all.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Sustainable resilience in facing natural disasters must start from oneself, deputy for systems and strategy at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Raditya Jati, said here on Saturday.

"Building resilient behavior in disaster preparedness starts from oneself, that is sustainable resilience," he remarked at the closing ceremony of Project SinerGi at Sarinah Building.

Sustainable resilience must also come from the community because the community is at the forefront of every natural disaster, he added.

According to him, collective awareness must be built to prevent the worse impacts of disasters.

Indonesia has 127 active volcanoes and 269 active faults, and it is among the countries with the longest coastlines in the world, which means any natural disaster can strike at any time, he underlined.

“Seventy-five percent of schools are located in disaster-risk areas. Do we need to wait for another disaster? Be prepared," he said.

This is the right moment to collaborate with each other to create localized sustainable resilience toward achieving the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, he said.

Sustainable resilience has become important with Indonesia hosting the 7th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) last year, which discussed how countries should handle a disaster.

"Sustainable resilience was born in Indonesia, so its spirit must be echoed by Indonesia to the world," he said.

Indonesians must show that they can overcome living in one of the most vulnerable regions to natural disasters, he added.

He said he expects Indonesia to become a center of excellence in sustainable resilience, with the world turning to the nation for learnings.

"Show them we are a nation that is resilient, strong, and ready to face it all," he said.

Project SinerGi was initiated by Wahana Visi Indonesia, a Christian humanitarian organization that empowers vulnerable children, families, and communities through community development, advocacy, and disaster response approaches regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, and gender.

The goal of Project SinerGi was to increase the participation and leadership of youth and women in disaster preparedness.

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Translator: Sean M, Kenzu
Editor: Sri Haryati
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