Prabowo Says Indonesia Must Stay Prepared on the Ring of Fire

Indonesia must prepare for disasters before they happen, President Prabowo Subianto said, describing the country’s location on the Pacific Ring of Fire as a permanent national challenge.

“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 from Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on September 7, 2026.

He called for a comprehensive disaster mitigation master plan and said the government was managing several crises at once. They include post-earthquake rehabilitation on Flores Island, heightened volcanic activity at Mount Anak Krakatau, and continuing forest and land fires across Indonesia.

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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.

Prabowo instructed ministries and other officials to position disaster response resources and equipment in advance. The government also plans to expand aircraft use for weather modification and examine heavy-lift drones for aerial firefighting.

“We are preparing for mitigation; we must not wait for incidents to happen. We must prepare long beforehand,” he said. Prabowo pledged to increase the disaster mitigation budget and ordered the purchase of additional helicopters, water pumps, fire engines and small excavators suited to rural areas vulnerable to forest fires. He also requested detailed progress reports from local governments, ministries and national agencies handling the situations in Flores, at Anak Krakatau and in fire-affected regions.

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