Government Urged to Update Disaster Management Law
The Regional Legislative Affairs Agency (BULD) of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) of the Republic of Indonesia has stated that Indonesia is currently in a state of disaster emergency. This statement was made in response to the high frequency of natural disasters occurring in various regions across the country throughout this year.
According to the DPD, Law Number 24 of 2007 concerning Disaster Management is no longer relevant to the challenges of the current era. It is considered necessary for the regulation to be updated immediately so that the disaster mitigation and management system in Indonesia becomes more effective and integrated.
One of the main points being pushed is the strengthening of coordination between the central government and regional governments. Thus far, bureaucratic obstacles have often hindered the distribution of aid and the evacuation process when disasters occur suddenly in remote areas.
In addition to the coordination aspect, the update to this law is expected to increase the budget allocation specifically for early warning technology. With more sophisticated technology, the public is expected to be better prepared to face potential disasters before their impact spreads.
As a next step, the DPD will continue to urge the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) to prioritize the revision of this law in the national legislation program. This step is considered an important investment to protect the safety of citizens from the threat of natural disasters in the future.