JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of Commission V of the House of Representatives Andi Iwan Darmawan Aras asked the government to prioritize public safety as the activity of Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait increases.
He emphasized that the government must increase its readiness, especially regarding public safety on the shipping route.
"In facing the threat of disaster due to increased activity of Mount Anak Krakatau, we must put the safety of the community as a priority. Especially for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, people with disabilities, pregnant women, and people living in coastal areas with high vulnerability," Andi Iwan told reporters, Thursday, July 16.
As is known, the volcanic activity of Mount Anak Krakatau has increased and is now at Level III Status (Alert). The increased activity of Mount Anak Krakatau in recent times has also re-emerged people's concerns about the potential for a tsunami, as was the case in the Sunda Strait in 2018.
As a precautionary measure, Iwan Aras encouraged the Government to ensure the readiness of logistics, health services, evacuation sites, and social protection systems that can be immediately activated if the situation develops into an emergency.
"The regional government together with BNPB also needs to strengthen community-based disaster education so that the public understands the steps to be taken when receiving official information regarding increased volcanic activity," said Iwan.
In addition, the head of the Commission in the DPR who deals with disaster management and transportation reminded the readiness of shipping infrastructure. Although PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) ensures that crossing services on the Merak-Bakauheni route and the shipping route in the Sunda Strait continue to operate normally in the midst of increased activity of Mount Anak Krakatau (GAK), Iwan said that anticipation must still be prioritized.
"Marine transportation operations must prioritize safety, security, and user comfort. Therefore, every shipping service provider must mitigate and always be on alert for the threat of the increasing activity of Mount Krakatoa," he said.
Furthermore, Iwan reminded the Government to strengthen cross-sectoral coordination between the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the Ministry of Transportation, TNI-Polri, local governments, and marine transportation operators.
"Good synergy is needed so that every increase in volcanic activity is immediately followed by coordinated mitigation and disaster preparedness steps. This approach is important to build a more anticipatory, adaptive disaster management system, and able to provide optimal protection for the community," explained the Legislator from Dapil South Sulawesi II.
On the other hand, Iwan said that related institutions/agencies need to strengthen the risk-based mitigation approach by utilizing volcanic monitoring data, geospatial information systems, and mapping vulnerability of the region as a basis for decision-making.
"Periodic readiness simulations in potentially affected areas, including the coastal areas of Banten and Lampung, need to be multiplied," said the Gerindra politician.
According to Iwan, evacuation training, risk map updates, readiness of evacuation sites, to the integration of communication between institutions must be part of a system that runs routinely, not only when volcanic activity increases.
"We hope that the potential threat of the Anak Krakatau disaster will not occur. However, being prepared for every possibility, including the worst-case scenario, can minimize the impact. This is also for the safety of the community," concluded Iwan.
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