Indonesia ‘better prepared’ for the tsunami – Global issues

The lyrics include references to an earthquake, a huge wave, land submerged under water and being on higher ground.

“When there is an earthquake and a tsunami you are in panic, you cannot be expected to think. Therefore, emergency drills must be ingrained and second nature. This must start at an early age,” Ahmadi said.

Despite being the closest inhabited island to the epicenter of the December 2004 earthquake, which caused the largest tsunami so far this century, only six residents died on this island of 100,000, a lower number than in any other affected area .

“This was due to the local wisdom passed down from generation to generation in the form of a song” said local leader Teuku Reza Fahlevi, referring to indigenous knowledge regarding a tsunami.

This oral tradition has enabled their people to better adapt to natural disasters. For example, in 2004 they knew to flee to higher ground as the sea receded, saving many lives.

“In many other coastal areas of the country, people ran into the seabed to collect fish and were crushed by the rushing seawater as waves of up to 30 meters caused damage and destruction,” he said.

Better prepared when disaster strikes

Twenty years later, the Aceh province in the far west of Indonesia is much better prepared. The smong is now part of the curriculum of every primary and secondary school in Simeulue, as well as in some other regencies.

“For full preparedness, we cannot rely solely on grandparents, we must ensure that every child is prepared,” Ahmadi said.

The province’s association of storytellers is working with the Simeulue Board of Education to lobby the remaining regencies to do the same.

Ahmadi himself was living in the provincial capital Banda Aceh when the 2004 tsunami hit and immediately fled to higher ground. He tried to convince many of his neighbors to do the same, but most would not listen.

“When I came back, I saw bodies everywhere,” he said. “Today the loss of life would be much smaller – we are much better prepared.”

The December 26 event killed more than 167,000 people in Indonesia, and at least another 60,000 in other Indian Ocean countries.

The United Nations provided major relief support to the survivors at the request of the Indonesian government.

The work involved ten UN agencies from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) helping internally displaced persons, to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) providing emergency supplies for children and the UN Development Program supporting reconstruction.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) facilitated the emergency response phase in 2004 and, since 2006, has been advocating with partners on the importance of building community resilience through disaster education based on international best practices.

OCHA, together with other UN agencies, the Red Cross, universities, the private sector and NGOs, has remained involved in supporting Indonesia and Aceh Province to improve disaster risk preparedness long after the tsunami.

Structured disaster management

The tsunami has ushered in a new era of more systematic and structured disaster management across the country, based on international best practices.

Rules have been put in place to establish and streamline processes for providing healthcare and food in the event of disasters, as well as establishing local agencies to coordinate humanitarian efforts on the ground.

The National Agency for Disaster Management (BNBP) has strengthened engagement with disaster relief, recovery and development stakeholders to implement global policies.

“We believe that disaster risk reduction, sustainable development and climate change must be addressed holistically,” said Raditya Jayi, Deputy Minister at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNBP). “Sustainable resilience ensures that we protect our development gains by investing in building resilience.”

The country has integrated the post-2015 Sustainable Development Frameworks (SDGs). UNFCCCParis Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, an international agreement adopted by UN Member States at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2015.

“Great strides have been made by national and provincial governments, supported by multi-stakeholder partners, including community and faith-based organizations, in increasing preparedness,” said Thandie Mwape, head of OCHA Indonesia.

Areas of focus include education, and regular tsunami preparedness exercises have been mandatory in all schools in the province since 2010, she said. The implementation of a disaster-safe school program was followed nationally in 2012, further increasing preparedness.

In some provinces a siren system has been installed and the population has been informed about what to do if the alarm goes off.

Thanks to progress in disaster management in the country, the Humanitarian Country Team, which consists of the UN, development partners and local NGOs, is now focusing its support to the government on strengthening disaster preparedness capacity and strengthening anticipatory action. as well as sharing best practices from Indonesia to countries in the region and globally.

“Indonesia is a knowledge center and the world can learn a lot from it, lessons that will lead to saving lives,” said Ms Mwape.