VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

In the wake of Disaster Preparedness Day on April 26, Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has planned to involve around 50 million people in a simulation and drill to test their preparedness in dealing with catastrophes.

"This year, we have set a target of 50 million participants to join a simple simulation drill," the agency's Deputy for Prevention and Preparedness, Bernardus Wisnu Widjaja, told journalists in Jakarta on Friday.

Those participating in the simulation and drill were expected to understand threats and how to conduct a secure self-evacuation," he said

Widjaja revealed that this year's Disaster Preparedness Day would highlight the theme, "Making women the central point of disaster preparedness, and home as the first school for families to understand the concept of secure self-evacuation".  

As a result of the Lembang Fault, the West Java area of Lembang was chosen to be the center for commemorating this year's Disaster Preparedness Day. The agency will conduct its simulation and drill from there and place a mark on the Lembang Fault.

As part of the simulation program, media workers would also be trained to better understand how to securely conduct their journalistic duties in disaster-struck areas, he said.

To reduce the risks of being struck by a tsunami, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency would conduct a tree planting program in the coastal forests of West Sumatra Province, and in the Pandenglang area of Banten Province.

The trees could reduce tsunamis up to 80 percent. "These are several other programs that we must hold to deal with the rising threat of disasters caused by damage to the environment or pollution," he said.

Indonesia is prone to a variety of natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and flash floods as it lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.

In 2018, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that Indonesia was hit by a total of 11,577 earthquakes, several of which led to serious casualties, with the number increasing significantly as compared to 2017. (ANTARA)