Chief of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto gave a lecture to the students (praja) and academic community of the State Institute of Public Administration (IPDN) to increase their knowledge of disasters.

“The students (IPDN praja) will not immediately become district heads and governors but definitely (work) with the community first, like becoming the village head or the sub-district secretary,” Suharyanto noted here on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, November 1, Suharyanto was the sole speaker to give a public lecture that was attended by the IPDN academic community in Sumedang, West Java.

He expected IPDN students to have knowledge of disaster, especially the risks of potential disaster in regions where they will serve.

“The Indonesian government has provided assistance in the form of funds, logistics, and medical personnel to flood-impacted Pakistan,” he stated.

He explained that disaster mitigation efforts cannot be conducted by BNPB alone. Suharyanto pressed for the need for a pentahelix collaboration that involves the government, community, business world, media, and academicians.

The BNPB chief cited an example of leadership action in disaster mitigation, wherein a neighborhood unit (RT) head in Alor, East Nusa Tenggara, saved the lives of all residents in the area before a flash flood hit.

“When it rained heavily, he called and ordered all of the RT residents to evacuate, then a flash flood immediately (occurred). The great thing is there was not one victim from the RT,” he explained.

Suharyanto highlighted BNPB’s keenness on providing knowledge and information to IPDN students, as they will become BNPB’s partners in disaster mitigation once they graduated.

“When they graduate, they will immediately become civil servants in the regions, who inevitably will always face natural disasters,” he said.

Source: Antara News