HKBN is commemorated in Indonesia on every April 26.
The ministry's Assistant Deputy for Disaster Mitigation and Social Conflict Andre Notohamijoyo stated when contacted on Thursday that as an archipelagic country that lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia not only has remarkable biodiversity but also has risks of disasters that cannot be ignored.
"To this end, preparedness in facing disasters becomes an important aspect that needs to be prioritized," he stated.
Notohamijoyo affirmed that his ministry continues to encourage education and dissemination of information regarding disaster mitigation and the importance of disaster preparedness to boost people’s awareness and understanding.
The dissemination of information is aimed at improving people’s alertness in order to make them more ready to take measures when a disaster strikes.
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For instance, people can evacuate themselves to the nearest safe points; save their valuable documents and belongings; and evacuate vulnerable groups, such as older adults, children, and people with disabilities.
“This preparedness must be started with an awareness of a disaster preparedness culture in the community, starting at the village level and involving all stakeholders,” he remarked.
He assessed that if all parties are prepared, the impacts of disaster can be mitigated.
Meanwhile, an academician from Jenderal Soedirman University Indra Permanajati stated that HKBN is a momentum to improve collective awareness of the community to prevent and avoid disasters.
He further noted that HKBN also becomes the right momentum to recognize disaster threats, understand disaster risks, and improve the culture of disaster awareness.
"Apart from that, it also becomes a momentum to continue to strengthen the disaster-resilient villages program, in line with the theme of the 2023 HKBN, namely Improving Villages Resilience, Reducing Disaster Risks," he remarked.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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