Prabowo orders disaster mitigation masterplan as Indonesia faces multiple crises

Indonesia is confronting several disasters at once, and President Prabowo Subianto says the country can no longer wait for each emergency to arrive before preparing for it. On Monday, he ordered the development of a comprehensive disaster mitigation masterplan.

The government is overseeing recovery on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara after an earthquake killed more than 100 people. More recently, heightened activity at Mount Anak Krakatau disrupted around 3,000 flights and affected an estimated 341,000 passengers, according to local media.

Forest and land fires are also burning in parts of Kalimantan and Sumatra. The resulting haze has spread to neighboring Malaysia and Brunei, and as far as the Philippines. Prabowo linked the country's exposure to natural hazards to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

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This is our fate as a country situated on the Ring of Fire, compelling us to remain prepared for such situations at all times.

“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, as quoted by national news agency Antara. He instructed ministers and relevant officials to position disaster-response resources and equipment in advance.

The government plans to expand the use of aircraft for weather modification and examine the use of heavy-lift drones for aerial firefighting. “We are preparing for mitigation, we must not wait for incidents to happen. We must prepare long beforehand,” Prabowo said. He also ordered increased disaster-management funding and the purchase of additional helicopters, water pumps, fire engines and small excavators suited to rural areas vulnerable to forest fires.

Prabowo requested detailed progress reports on the response in Flores, at Mount Anak Krakatau and in fire-affected regions from local governments, ministries and national agencies.

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We are preparing for mitigation, we must not wait for incidents to happen. We must prepare long beforehand.