20 Years Of Aceh Tsunami: The Importance Of Disaster Education For A Tougher Future

Chairman of the Central Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), Ubaidillah (doc. KPI)

Twenty years ago, on December 26, 2004, the land of Aceh was great. An earthquake measuring 9.1-9.3 on the Richter scale rocked the Indian Ocean and triggered a devastating tsunami that hit the coast of Aceh and a number of countries in the Southeast Asia region to East Africa.

This disaster is one of the biggest humanitarian tragedies in modern history. Not only in Indonesia, but tsunamis also claimed victims in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, to Somalia.

In Aceh alone, more than 230,000 people were victims, leaving deep wounds for the local community and the international community.

Today, on December 26, 2024, the Chairman of the Central Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), Ubaidillah, invited television and radio broadcasting institutions to be more aggressive in providing education to the public about disaster issues.

This invitation was conveyed in commemoration of the 20 years of the tsunami that hit Aceh, one of the biggest disasters in Indonesian history.

"Today we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Aceh tsunami, a disaster that has resulted in a lot of casualties and enormous damage. Of course we hope that similar incidents will not be repeated, and one of the important efforts is to increase disaster education through television and radio," said Ubaidillah in Jakarta in his statement.

He also highlighted various disasters that continue to occur in a number of areas, such as landslides and floods in Sukabumi, Cianjur, and Pandeglang.

"As a disaster-prone country, people need adequate information, especially regarding disasters," he explained.

Ubaidillah emphasized that through massive education, the impact of natural disasters can be minimized, both in terms of material losses and casualties. In addition, the community can become more resilient in dealing with disasters.

"If people are provided with knowledge of disasters, they will know the steps that must be taken when a disaster occurs. Mitigation and countermeasures can also be carried out independently," he continued.

He also hopes that broadcasting institutions can insert disaster information in programs that have a lot of enthusiasts and are broadcast on prime time.

"This information should be integrated into popular programs and broadcast on strategic times so that disaster education messages can reach more people," he concluded.