The West Sulawesi provincial government is striving to improve synergy between regional apparatus organizations in carrying out disaster mitigation, West Sulawesi Acting Governor Akmal Malik has said.
“We have to strengthen synergy for structured disaster risk readiness and mitigation in handling the impact of extreme weather,” he said during a regional leadership coordination forum (Forkopimda) meeting here on Tuesday.
West Sulawesi is vulnerable to several disasters, including geological and hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, landslides, and tornados, he informed.
“Non-natural disasters, such as fires and plagues, also frequently occur,” he added.
According to Malik, the disaster risk index of West Sulawesi in 2021 was recorded at 164.85, which is in the high category.
“This shows that our region has a relatively high risk,” he noted.
He underlined the importance of mitigation efforts that involve various sectors in regions that frequently experience disasters, such as West Sulawesi.
Based on the recommendation of the 7th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) in Bali, disaster risk reduction should be integrated with the main development and financing policy.
“This means that the transformation of the disaster risk management mechanism is the responsibility of different sectors,” he explained.
Thus, collaboration between regional apparatus organizations across different sectors in implementing disaster mitigation should be strengthened, Malik said.
“I expect that, through this meeting, all of the Forkopimda can establish decisions or policies that support the implementation of disaster mitigation in West Sulawesi,” he added.
Earlier, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) highlighted the potential for extreme weather in several provinces with the approach of the new year.
There is potential for heavy rain in Java, Bali, NTB in West Nusa Tenggara, and South Sulawesi, acting head of BNPB’s Disaster Data and Information Center, Abdul Muhari, informed during an online disaster briefing on Monday.
Source: Antara News