"We should instill disaster awareness among residents, and local governments should identify the typology of disasters in their respective regions," he noted in a statement on Wednesday.
While closing the 2024 National Coordination Meeting on Disaster Mitigation agenda in Bandung, West Java, Effendy said that the cyclical nature of natural disasters allows for their identification.
Understanding the typology of natural disasters will help local authorities address them properly and avoid loss of life, he remarked.
"I expect local governments to learn about natural disasters in their regions. Landslides, floods, and volcanic eruptions can happen anytime, and their cycles should be identified," he stated.
It will also help local authorities optimize disaster mitigation and response when a natural disaster occurs and help them innovate and perfect disaster-response strategies and policies, he affirmed.
Effendy called on regional governments to share their knowledge and experience in mitigating and addressing natural disasters.
He also encouraged them to study other countries with high disaster risks that have better disaster mitigation strategies.
"A workshop should also take place to optimize the roles of regional governments because, in the end, they are the responsible authorities in disaster mitigation efforts," Effendy remarked.
Meanwhile, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Head Suharyanto stated that Indonesia experienced more hydrometeorological disasters in 2023 due to climate change. Natural disasters in that year caused less damage, loss of life, and injuries as compared to 2022.
However, the number of residents affected by disasters declined by 36.8 percent to 6,081 from 9,628 in 2022, while the number of damaged buildings dropped by 63.3 percent to 35,933 from 97,891 in 2022.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Anton Santoso
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