Indonesia, a country with approximately 220 million inhabitants living in 1.3 million hectares of land, consists of 17 583 islands, which is also home to 120 active volcanoes and 5860 rivers.
Due to these circumstances, Indonesia is vulnerable to various potential hazards. For example, Indonesia is geologically prone to earthquakes, tsunami and volcano eruption while hydrometeorologically, it is blatantly exposed to flood, flash-flood, typhoon and drought. Not to forget, there are other types of hazards such as biological threats (epidemics, disease and pest), environment degradation (deforestation, forest fire, haze, water and air pollution), technological failure (transportation and industrial accidents) and social conflict (civil unrest and terrorism).
All these risks, whether it is natural or man-made, are a threat to Indonesia and its people, causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the natural environment. As for Jogjakarta, the city I currently residing in to pursue my degree, eruption of Mt. Merapi has claimed 174 souls through burn injury while 85 lives were lost due to non-burn injury. (Updated from Bakornas PBP, The National Coordination Board for Disaster Management, on 15/11/2010)
Therefore, it is very important for a medical student to understand the management of disaster. First, we need to know that there are disaster management organizations in Indonesia, notably Bankornas PBP (Badan Koordinasi Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana dan Pengungsi), Satkorlat PBP (Satuan Koordinasi Penanggulangan Bencana dan Pengungsian), Satlak PBP (Satuan Pelaksana Penanggulangan Bencana dan Pengungsi).
Figure shown below reflects the relationship and level of each component and its chairman. Bakornas PBP is a national coordinating board for disaster management, chaired by the Vice President of Indonesia. On the other hand, Satkorlak PBP is a provincial coordinating unit for disaster management, chaired by Governor in the respective area while Satlak PBP is a district or municipal implementation unit for disaster management, chaired by Bupati or Mayor of the city.
The National Coordinating Board, Bakornas PBP has the following members: vice president, minister of people welfare, minister of home affairs, minister of energy and mineral, minister of social affairs, minister of health, minister of public works, minister of finance, minister of transportation, minister of communication and information, armed force commander, chief of national police, chairman of red cross and chief executing officer.
All of them have to work together to formulate and stipulate policies in disaster management. Besides that, they also coordinate the implementation and monitor activities in disaster management. In addition, they will have to render guidance and direction to manage disaster.
There are four phases based on Disaster Management Cycle, which are Mitigation, Planning/Preparedness, Response and Recovery. Whenever a disaster happens, the first step that has to be done is mitigation and prevention. This can be done by scientific hazard analysis, simulation and modeling, vulnerability analysis, risk assessment and mapping, structural measure (building stock assessment) and non structural measures (awareness campaign, training and capacity building).
Then, they will switch to preparedness mode by having resource inventory, stockpiling, logistic planning, evacuation planning, communication planning and needs assessment. Normally, there’ll be sign of the forthcoming disaster. When disaster inevitably happens, the organization will response by conducting situation analysis, crisis mapping, information delivery, evacuation and providing shelters, dispatching resources and early damage assessment. Lastly, in the recovery phase, they will focus on reconstruction and rehabilitation of spatial planning, infrastructure, housing, livelihood, social security, transport, water, communication, housing and agriculture.
In conclusion, it is an uphill struggle to cope with disaster. All parties should be responsible and play their roles well. There is still space for improvement in the management of disaster in Indonesia.I hope I can share more about disaster in the next 2 weeks classes. Till next time.
Below are some interesting links that you may not want to miss if you wish to know more about disaster management:
1.Disaster Wikipedia
2.Badan Nasional Penanggunglangan Bencana
3.Disaster Management in Indonesia
4.Disaster Management in Indonesia
5. Indonesia Disaster Management Information System
6. Indonesia National Programmes in Disaster Management
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