Masterplan on the Tsunami Disaster Risk Reduction drafted by National Disaster Mitigation Agency needs to be revised. This needs to be done so that the masterplan can be implemented well to minimise disaster risk in Indonesia.
“The Masterplan drafted by the BNPB needs to be improved in some aspects as it is still programme identification in nature rather than operational,” UGM disaster expert, Prof. Dr. H.A.Sudibyakto, M.S., after a discussion entitled “Review of Masterplan on Tsunami Disaster Risk Reduction on Thursday (10/1) in Centre for Disaster Studies (PSBA) UGM.
In June 2012 the Agency issued the masterplan that will become reference for programme arrangement and construction activities to anticipate against tsunami. The masterplan is based on the earthquake happening in Aceh on 11 April 2012. The masterplan has fourmain programmes, early warning system development, temporary shelter, alertness and disaster-related industry.
In his opinion, the masterplan is very weak in terms of scientific responsibility as it is not based on detailed research for some earthquake and tsunami-prone areas, so several programmes being offered would become useless. “It should have been based on thorough research,” he explained.
Sudibyakto said the masterplan would be useless if it has no clear legal position. He hopes that after getting revision, the masterplan would have clear legal umbrella so that all departments or ministries may be able to run programmes well in anticipating against disasters. “If issued under Head of the Agency’s regulation, it is feared it would not be operational as there might appear unwillingness from ministries to carry out the task. Higher legal umbrella is therfore required, for instance, government regulation,” said the professor of Geography.
The master plan ini seems very top down. It needs regional participation. “Currently, many regions were surprised why there are TES without their being informed in advance,” he said.
He added, review on the high funding which is 17 trillion is also needed. The funding, according to Sudibyakto, is not that much. “It is clear that physical construction needs big funding, but the effectivity does not lie on the physical building, but on how to make people more responsive and aware to early warning system,” he added.
The view is shared by Head of Coastal Dynamics Studies Agency at the Technology Study and Implementation Board, Dr. Ir. Rahman Hidayat, M.Eng. He said the masterplan is flawed procedurally. For example, it does not include the drafting team, making the product cannot be held accountable. “The content is not true, only a compilation of researches and tsunami stories in Indonesia. Disaster handling is made similarly, not adjusted to the real condition of each region,” he said.
Rahman said although the masterplan is not yet official, but it has been forced to be implemented. For example, in Bantul temporary shelter will be built . “Somebody said this is only a draft, but how can it be a draft as the budget is already allocated and operated,” he added. Rahman hoped that an expert or independent team would be formed to criticise the masterplan and prevent more mistakes, while universities and private companies need to be involved.