North Kalimantan Becomes National Disaster Management Priority Province

Suriansyah/Photo: Antara

TARAKAN - Secretary of North Kalimantan Province, Suriansyah said that North Kalimantan (Kaltara) Province is the priority of the central government in disaster management.

"Kaltara is one of six provinces in Indonesia as a national priority for preparing disaster management simulations," said Suriansyah in Tanjung Selor, Bulungan, Tuesday during a Disaster Management Simulation Planning meeting, Wednesday, March 23.

The provincial secretary expressed his appreciation for the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Kaltara because through this simulation, Kaltara can swiftly prepare for the possibility of a disaster.

"It is hoped that the participants will follow the activities well, hopefully at the next meeting the disaster management simulation can run smoothly," he said as quoted by Antara.

Meanwhile, Head of Prevention and Preparedness of the Kaltara Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Andi Amriampa said that Kaltara was a national priority along with five other provinces, namely West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Banten, Lampung, and Riau. Because Kaltara is squeezed by three major rivers.

The three rivers are the Sesayap River in Malinau Regency, the Sembakung River in Nunukan Regency and the Kayan River in Bulungan Regency.

"That's actually the potential for flooding, but what attracted the attention of BNPB, especially the Education and Training Center (Education and Training Center, ed) was the flood in Nunukan because it was cross-country," he said.

Apart from floods, Kaltara is also vulnerable to other disasters such as hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes, and so on.