DPR Legislators Remind Psychosocial Protection For Bali Flood Victims

The impact of the Denpasar floods in Bali. (Dafi-VOI)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission VIII DPR RI, Maman Imanulhaq asked the central and regional governments to immediately re-map flood-prone areas and hydrometeorological disasters in Bali. He requested that psychosocial protection and services be prioritized for affected victims.

Maman also asked the government to strengthen the community-based early warning system, including public education regarding rapid evacuation procedures

"Accelerated distribution of social assistance and compensation for affected residents, especially small traders and poor families. Then provide psychosocial recovery services for victims who have lost their families and livelihoods," Maman told reporters, Thursday, September 11.

"Integrate the disaster management program with social protection, so that people are not increasingly burdened by disasters," he continued.

According to Maman, the Bali flood this time was not just a result of a natural phenomenon, but a failure to manage disaster risk.

"We can no longer just blame extreme rainfall. Bali floods are a strong alarm that our mitigation, preparedness and social protection system is still weak and far from ideal," said the legislator from the West Java IX electoral district.

Maman assessed that the lack of an early warning system, limited readiness of evacuation facilities, and weak cross-sector coordination in disaster management resulted in the community being the party most disadvantaged by casualties, material losses, and prolonged trauma.

This disaster occurred in the center of world tourist destinations, but the people were not adequately protected. This situation shows the weak integration between development policies and reducing disaster risk, "said Maman.

For this reason, the PKB politician reminded the Government to seriously pay attention to the prevention aspect by involving the community in disaster management planning because without a participatory approach, the policy would only be a formality without tangible results in the field.

"Bali is the face of Indonesia in the eyes of the world. If repeated disasters continue to be left without strong mitigation and protection, then it is not only the people who suffer, but also the authority of the nation at stake," said Maman.

As reported, flash floods hit Bali on Wednesday, September 10. Floods in Bali claimed nine lives spread across the Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, and Jembrana areas.

The flood was triggered by heavy rains that have hit since two consecutive days. Based on temporary data from the Bali Police, as many as four people died in Denpasar, one victim in Badung, two victims in Jembrana, and two in Gianyar.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and the Provincial Government (Pemprov) of Bali have even set a Bali Province disaster emergency status for one week.