Commission IV of the DPR Meeting with the Government Discusses Post-disaster Recovery of Sumatra

JAKARTA - Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives held a meeting with the government, in this case, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Forestry and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries to discuss post-disaster recovery in several areas of Sumatra.

Commission IV of the DPR hopes that this meeting can produce concrete, realistic, and pro-people policy recommendations, especially for affected residents.

Previously, the agenda of the meeting was not attached to the schedule of the DPR AKD meeting today. The meeting, which began at 14.45 WIB, was open to the public.

"As we all know, the flood disaster that has hit a number of areas in Sumatra in recent times has had a very serious impact, especially on the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors. Thousands of hectares of agricultural and fisheries land are affected by floods so that food production is disrupted and production decreases significantly," said Chairman of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Siti Hediati Hariyadi alias Titiek Soeharto, opening a meeting held at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, January 14.

On the other hand, continued Titiek, the forest area and the J river basin

It also experiences increasingly heavy ecological pressure. This condition, according to him, not only has an impact on economic losses, but also threatens national food security, the sustainability of livelihoods of business actors in the agricultural sector of resilience, fisheries and the balance of the environment ecosystem.

"Therefore, post-disaster handling cannot be done partially but requires an integrated approach across sectors and is oriented towards short-term recovery as well as strengthening medium- and long-term resilience," said Titiek.

Titiek explained that today's working meeting aims to obtain a comprehensive explanation regarding several things. First, the emergency response and rapid recovery measures that have been and are being carried out by each ministry in the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors after the flood disaster in Sumatra.

Second, rehabilitation and construction strategies designed to restore business productivity in the agricultural and fisheries sectors, repair damaged infrastructure, and maintain the sustainability of forest resources.

Third, cross-ministerial coordination and with local governments, including technical policy budget support and on-the-ground assistance so that the recovery program runs effectively and is targeted.

"Fourth, mitigation and adaptation measures for the future to reduce the risk of similar disasters, especially through the management of regional water management of river basins and the strengthening of early warning systems and agricultural and fisheries practices that are more resistant to climate change," explained Titiek.

Titiek hopes that the DPR working meeting with the government today can produce policy recommendations that are beneficial for residents affected by disasters. Especially in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

"We hope that through this working meeting, concrete, realistic and people-oriented policy recommendations can be formulated so that the recovery of the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors can run faster, more targeted and sustainable," he concluded.