Lecturer of Master of Disaster Management at the University of Indonesia School of Environmental Sciences (SIL UI) and Head of the National Disaster Management Agency for the 2019-2021 period, Lieutenant General TNI (Ret.) Dr. (H.C.) Doni Monardo said that the concept of “one command” disaster management is more effective and appropriate. Otherwise, it will be difficult to make each part an integrated instrument.

He gave an example of logistical assistance that must immediately reach the victims, whatever and however. “If there are foodstuffs piling up in the warehouse, it means that there are victims who are starving and have not received assistance. One command post also facilitates operational control, including distributing volunteers to targets according to the qualifications needed,” he said in a webinar entitled “Human Capacity Building in Disaster Awareness & Preparedness” organized by the SIL UI disaster management research cluster (24/5).

According to Doni, Indonesia is a disaster laboratory country because all types of disasters – both natural and non-natural – exist in Indonesia. He explained that natural disasters are divided into four clusters. First, geological and volcanological threats consisting of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, liquefaction, and land subsidence. Second, hydrometeorology I, which consists of forest and land fires (karhutla) and drought. Third, hydrometeorology II which consists of floods, flash floods, landslides, coastal abrasion, extreme waves, and tornadoes. Finally, non-natural disasters consisting of waste, endemic diseases, and technological failure.

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in Wuhan at the end of 2019, the Indonesian government formed a Task Force to accelerate the handling of Covid-19 and has now changed its name to the Covid-19 Task Force. In handling Covid-19, there are three enemies, namely, negative news or hoaxes, sectoral ego or weak cross-sectoral coordination, and the Covid-19 virus.

“To change this behavior, so that people can realize that Covid-19 is a very dangerous type of pandemic or a killing machine, especially for those who are elderly, it is a very vulnerable group. We can utilize the media because of the data collected in a number of institutions, 80% of the success in handling Covid-19, including disasters, is in the media,” said Doni.

He continued, “The media is able to influence behavior, able to provide literacy to the community, and what we are doing is organizing a number of collaborations with several parties so that this public communication strategy is truly effective. Then, organize meetings with media owners and editor-in-chief.”

At the end of his presentation, Doni said that the strategy in handling disasters will not be complete if it is not supported by pentahelix collaboration, which is the establishment of cooperation between the central or regional government, elements of society, academics, businessmen, and the media. In addition, mitigation is also very important in an effort to improve the ability and resilience of the community in facing disasters.

Director of SIL UI, Dr. dr. Tri Edhi Budhi Soesilo, M.Si., said in his speech that Indonesia as a country located on the pacific ring of fire often experiences disasters. Disasters do not occur naturally but can also be the result of human activities that allow the disaster to occur by itself.

“For example, negligent installation of an electric cable in an area can cause a fire disaster in the future. Therefore, an effort is needed to increase the capacity, ability, and level of resilience of the community both inside and outside the government to understand and be able to mitigate disasters that will occur. In addition, a form of capacity building is also needed to prevent disasters and reduce the risk of unwanted things,” he said.

The Chairperson of the Alumni Family Association (IKAL) of the National Defense Institute of the DKI Jakarta Regional Executive Board (DPD) as well as serving as Chairperson of Committee III DPD RI / MPR RI, Sylviana Murni also gave a speech that, “We must jointly increase capacity. Capacity in the sense of how the community has the capacity to anticipate, overcome, fight, and even recover from disasters. Our capacity does not only depend on social assets, economic assets, political assets, psychological, environmental, physical, and government regimes but on the person.”

Furthermore, Indonesian Defense University Lecturer who also serves as President Director of PT Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia (BKI), Rudiyanto said that, “Ring of fire is an area in which it is said to be a circum-pacific belt or in the Pacific Ocean. In the concept of geology, we are composed of plate tectonics in a layer that is unstable and moves dynamically. Then, there are several movements that have consequences and an earthquake occurs.”

Disaster management process is a series of activities carried out to control disasters and emergencies. In this case, it consists of four phases of disaster, namely, mitigation, namely pre-disaster mitigation efforts, preparation, namely taking action in advance to be ready for emergencies, response, namely to protect people and property after an emergency, disaster or crisis, and recovery, namely to rebuild after a disaster in an effort to restore normal operations.

“One key to reducing the process of loss, accident or damage from nature and disasters is to increase awareness and education to the community. Everyone must be aware that these disasters can occur at any time, unknown, and we must be prepared. If we have prepared, it can reduce fear and anxiety,” he said.

In the presentation of the last speaker, namely Plt. Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Indonesia who also serves as a Lecturer at Padang State University, Jonni Mardizal said, “The role of youth is regulated in Law No.40 of 2009 in article 16 which states that youth play an active role in all aspects of national development as a moral force, social control, and agent of change.”

The active role of youth as a moral force is to foster ethical and moral aspects in acting in every dimension of youth life. Then, the active role of youth as social control is to raise awareness of their responsibilities, rights and obligations as citizens. Finally, the active role of youth as agents of change is to care for the community and care for the environment.

In addition, youth involvement in disaster management is needed because the speed of access and understanding of disasters will make disaster mitigation optimized. Young people related to disaster management need to understand before a disaster, during a disaster and after a disaster occurs.

Thus, efforts are needed to accelerate youth involvement in disaster risk reduction activities, namely with youth capacity building programs, creating or formulating clear and specific policies, supporting youth communities engaged in disaster management, and the need for cross-generational and cross-disciplinary knowledge transfer.

Original post :https://www.ui.ac.id/doni-monardo-dosen-sil-uisatu-komando-efektif-dalam-penanganan-bencana/