JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Monday (Sep 7) ordered the development of a comprehensive disaster mitigation masterplan, as the country grapples with several crises, including the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, heightened volcanic activity and persistent forest fires.
The government is overseeing recovery efforts on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province following an earthquake that killed over 100 people, while more recently, heightened activity at Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted around 3,000 flights and affected an estimated 341,000 passengers, local media reported.
Indonesia is also battling forest and land fires, particularly in Kalimantan and Sumatra, with haze spreading to neighbouring Malaysia, Brunei and as far as the Philippines.
Prabowo said that the archipelago’s geographic location on the Pacific Ring of Fire has made it highly susceptible to natural hazards. This, he stressed, has made it necessary to make significant improvements in the government’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
“This is our fate as a country situated on the Ring of Fire, compelling us to remain prepared for such situations at all times,” Prabowo said during a virtual cabinet meeting on disaster management on Monday, as quoted by national news agency Antara.
The president said he has instructed his cabinet and relevant officials to preposition disaster management resources and equipment well before incidents occur.
