"This approach is aimed at preventing development from becoming a cause of disasters," he told the press after the 2025 National Coordination Meeting on Disaster Handling in Jakarta on Thursday.
The minister ensured that the central government has committed to integrating an ecological approach into mainstream decision-making.
Pratikno underscored that the commitment will falter without adequate comprehension from regional governments. This is especially important as development must be pursued sustainably, balancing economic growth with ecosystem preservation.
"The central government is working hard, but the vanguard of disaster mitigation is the regional governments," he stated.
He emphasized that strengthening the role of the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) is one of the absolute efforts that governors, district heads, and mayors must make to foster ecological development and minimize disaster risks in their respective regions.
He assessed that the BPBD must have greater authority in supervising development that can potentially damage the environment.
For instance, BPBD could be authorized to challenge or modify project designs that threaten ecosystem balance.
Recent BNPB data revealed that 683 disaster events, predominantly hydrometeorological disasters, occurred between January and March 2025.
Those disasters affected 39 districts and cities in 19 provinces, displaced 43,252 residents, killed three people, and damaged more than 10,300 units of houses, roads, bridges, and public facilities.
"Improving the community's awareness of disaster mitigation must also be strengthened. We must not only talk about disaster risks when a disaster occurs. It must be a concern from the beginning in every development policy," he remarked.
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Translator: M. Riezko, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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