"It will build awareness among students and religious communities early," he stated during the launch of the KITATANGGUH disaster preparedness movement in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to Pratikno, the Ministry of Religious Affairs plays a strategic role in educating the public on disaster risk reduction through religious education.
The minister emphasized the importance of fostering a culture of resilience in communities to help reduce disaster risks. Simple measures, such as planting trees and preserving the environment, are deemed effective in preventing more severe impacts.
"Preventive measures at the community and government levels must continue, including utilizing technological innovation for disaster mitigation," Pratikno stressed.
The minister further underlined the strategic role of places of worship in disaster management, encouraging mosques, churches, and other public facilities to be designed as safe and comfortable locations that can serve as evacuation sites.
"Public facilities must also be designed to be safe and comfortable shelters for evacuees," he remarked.
KITATANGGUH is a national movement that promotes collaboration among stakeholders to strengthen communities' preparedness and resilience in facing disasters.
"Based on data from various sources, combined with AI analysis, losses from disasters in 2024 reached Rp665 trillion (around US$41.3 billion)," he noted.
Pratikno stated that these losses included both direct and indirect impacts. He stated that nearly two thousand disasters affected more than 8 million people, most of which were hydrometeorological disasters.
"The direct economic loss is around Rp65 trillion. However, if we calculate the indirect losses, such as a decline in GDP as well as disruptions in trade and economic productivity, the value is even bigger," he remarked.
Related news: Indonesia’s location makes disaster mitigation vital: minister
Related news: Proactive mitigation can avert rain-related disasters: minister
Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Primayanti
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
