"Some time ago after the election, several disasters occurred in various regions of Indonesia. This condition must be addressed carefully and responded to with appropriate steps," she noted in a press statement received by ANTARA, Wednesday.
This statement refers to several natural disasters that occurred recently, one of which is the whirlwind that struck Bandung, West Java.
Moerdijat assessed that natural disasters currently occurred with greater frequency owing to the extreme weather that often hits several areas.
In addition, climate change has the potential to trigger natural disasters, such as flash floods due to high rainfall or whirlwind.
"This can trigger other natural disasters, one of which is landslides," she pointed out.
Hence, Moerdijat emphasized the importance of raising awareness of mitigation measures to prevent disasters.
She remarked that mitigation could be conducted through disaster prevention efforts and providing guidance on steps that people must take to save themselves.
At the same time, Director General of Climate Change Control at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Laksmi Dhewanthi stated that the recent natural disasters were caused by extreme weather.
Hence, the ministry is working to build climate villages and climate communities at seven thousand locations in Indonesia.
In this climate village, the community can be educated about disaster mitigation steps.
The ministry is also active in disseminating information on disaster mitigation through mass media and social media.
She is upbeat that through these efforts, the public can be well-informed so as to reduce the number of fatalities due to natural disasters.
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Translator: Walda Marison, Katriana
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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