As of 18 October 2012
OPENING SPEECH
BY
H.E. DR. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO
PRESIDENT OF
THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
AT THE FIFTH ASIAN MINISTERIAL
CONFERENCE FOR DISASTER RISK
REDUCTION
YOGYAKARTA, 23 OCTOBER 2012
1
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Peace be upon us all,
Salam sejahtera untuk kita semua,
Excellencies Ministers of Asia and the Pacific
countries,
Honorable
Governor
Yogyakarta,
of
Special
Region
Excellencies Ambassadors and Representatives
of United Nations Agencies and International
Organizations,
Distinguished Delegates and Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
2
First of all, I am delighted to welcome all of
you to Yogyakarta—a city that is rich in culture
and history.
It is indeed a pleasure for Indonesia to be
selected as the venue for this year's Asian
Ministerial
Conference.
important
Conference
Hosting
has
such
added
an
new
significance to our efforts at national and
regional levels. Nationally, Indonesia is now
working hard to accelerate our capacity in
disaster management. And at the regional level,
many of our regions, including Yogyakarta, are
making efforts in building disaster risk reduction
capacity.
Therefore, I consider the theme for this
conference: “Strengthening Local Capacity for
Disaster Risk Reductions” very timely. Indeed,
3
the need to strengthen local capacity in reducing
disaster risks is now becoming highly critical.
It also makes Yogyakarta the right place for
this conference. This Special Region is under
constant threat of volcanic eruption. It was hit by
an earthquake in May 2006—claiming more than
5,000 lives, and damaging more than 150,000
houses. Now Yogyakarta is recovered, and
continues to build its disaster resilience capacity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Along with many natural disasters that
struck many countries, disaster risk reduction
(DRR) has become increasingly important. I
attach great importance to efforts in increasing
DRR capacity to minimize vulnerabilities and
disaster risks. In the case of Indonesia, this is
4
also critical to help ensure sustainability of our
development efforts.
It is encouraging that at the international
level, we have the Hyogo Framework for Action
2005
–
2015.
Indonesia
attaches
particular
importance to this Framework. It serves as a main
point of reference in devising our National Plan of
Action on DRR, including its programs.
Through
the
implementation
of
the
Framework and the Plan of Action, we have taken
a number of measures to promote DDR.
We have made DRR a priority in our disaster
management strategy. We include in this strategy
schemes to increase resilience and partnerships
at the national, regional and global levels.
5
Indonesia
has
also
revitalized
its
institutional capacity by establishing the National
Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) in 2008.
At
the
provincial
established
the
and
Local
Agency (BPBD).
district
levels,
Disaster
we
Management
In addition, we have also
initiated DRR forums and platforms at the
national and local levels.
Successful DRR efforts will also need
sufficient
legal
foundation.
In
the
case
of
Indonesia, the Government in collaboration with
the Parliament has produced Law No. 24 on
Disaster Management in 2007. Coherence and
coordination in the implementation of this Law is
important.
Hence,
I
am
glad
that
relevant
ministries and local governments have issued a
number of implementing regulations.
6
I am aware that no country can do its DRR
efforts alone. Therefore, Indonesia promotes
bilateral, regional and international partnerships
to build up its DRR capacity.
Bilaterally,
Indonesia
has
developed
partnerships with a number of countries. These
include Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster
Reduction (AIFDR). Under ASEAN framework, we
collaborate
Disaster
through
Management
ASEAN
and
Committee
ASEAN
on
Regional
Forum Disaster Relief Exercise (DIREx). At the
international level, Indonesia works closely with
the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction, in particular in realizing the Hyogo
Framework for Action.
Indonesia believes that DRR is essential to
sustainable development. It helps save and
7
preserve the achievements of our development
efforts. It helps mitigate the destructive effects of
natural disasters on physical materials as well as
social and economic infrastructures. This is the
reason behind my Government’s decision to
integrate
DRR
into
our
Mid-term
National
Development Plan 2010 – 2014.
DRR is also critical to our efforts in realizing
the vision:
“Towards Indonesia's Resilience to
Disaster”. The threat of natural disasters in
Indonesia is enduring. This is because, as you all
are aware, Indonesia sits between the world's
most active seismic and tectonic regions — the
Pacific 'Ring of Fire' and the Alpide Belt. Thus, we
are situated in one of the most volatile regions in
the world.
8
The Indian Ocean Tsunami on the boxing
day of December 26, 2004, was a wake-up call for
Indonesia on the importance of having disaster
resilience.
And
hopefully,
through
DDR,
Indonesia will be able to attain that resilience.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, according to the World Disaster
Report 2012, more than one hundred local areas
throughout Asia are prone to natural disasters.
When natural disasters hit, it is the local
people who are hurt first and the most. It is the
local governments that have to first tackle the
challenges in their aftermath. Indeed before the
central government can lend their hands, it is the
local governments which must respond first.
9
Therefore, it is important that we strengthen
their capacity for DRR.
And, this is the reason why my Government
placed local capacity building a top priority.
Through our national agency, we have developed
an Indonesia Disaster Risk Index (IDRI).
We
developed inventory of hazards, vulnerabilities,
and capacities of all local governments. Out of
494 districts, we identify areas that fall into high,
medium, and low risk zones. It is disheartening to
mention that 396 districts are situated in high risk
zones and they are highly vulnerable to various
types of disasters.
Now, I would like to share a few thoughts on
how we can strengthen local capacity for DRR.
10
FIRST, local resilience can be acquired
through the development of disaster resilient
villages.
It is in villages that we mostly witness the
devastating
Earthquake,
effects
of
tsunami,
natural
landslide,
disasters.
volcanic
eruption, and flood have often damaged most
parts of rural areas.
In the archipelagic context like Indonesia,
natural disasters affect both coastal and inland
villages. We adjust our DRR initiatives to the
geographic
characteristic
of
our
villages:
Kampung Siaga (Prepared Villages) for inland
areas and Desa Pesisir
Tangguh
Coastal Villages) for coastal areas.
(Resilient
11
These disaster resilient villages serve the
objective of creating community-based DRR at
the local level. These villages can be part of wider
networks for the implementation of DRR plans
and strategies.
In my opinion, these villages can also serve
as
a
basis
for
the
development
of
risk
management governance at the local level. And
in order to be viable, this governance must
underline flexibility in the decision-making and
the empowerment of communities. It must also
include local actors and take into account local
values.
This leads me to my SECOND point, that
participation of multi-stakeholders is critical to
local capacity for DRR.
12
DRR
is
a
collective
responsibility
of
governments and the people, both at national and
local levels. Therefore, Indonesia has encouraged
the participation of all stakeholders to support
the
strengthening
stakeholders
academia,
of
include
local
capacity.
civil
society
professionals,
These
groups,
parliamentarians,
religious leaders, and even business community.
I am glad that representatives from those
stakeholders are here among us today. I invite
you
to
contribute
more
to
the
efforts
in
strengthening the local capacity for DRR.
I
also
attach
particular
importance
to
partnership among stakeholders. Therefore, on
the occasion of the World Economic Forum on
East Asia Summit in 2011, I launched the Disaster
Resource Partnership (DRP) National Network for
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Indonesia.
And
on
January
27,
2012,
my
Government, in cooperation with engineering and
construction
companies,
formed
a
Disaster
Management Partnership Network.
THIRD,
human
capacity
and
technical
capacity at the local level need to be developed.
Human
capacity
includes
knowledge,
expertise, and wisdom. It is important that local
communities are aware of the potential dangers
posed by natural disasters to their areas. It is
important that they have courage to appreciate
the importance of having readiness to face
natural disasters. We need to beef up indigenous
knowledge that proves effective in the past to
anticipate natural disasters and mitigate their
impacts.
14
Local communities generally have multiple
methods to manage disasters. But their methods
can be made more effective if we incorporate upto-date ways and best practices in disaster
management. We can combine local methods and
more developed technical skills to make the local
communities more resilient.
In view of this, Indonesian government pays
great attention to enhancing community technical
and
organization
capacity
and
community
empowerment. We pursue this objective through
dissemination
of
knowledge
and
skill
enhancement.
FOURTH, financing is critical to achieving
local capacity for DRR.
15
In my view, local community must have
sufficient
financing
to
support
its
disaster
resilience capacity. One of the ways to obtain
financing
support
is
through
public-private
partnership in promoting investment in social
and
physical
governments
local
also
can
infrastructure.
establish
Local
contingent
budget as sustainable reserve.
Another potential sources for funding are
philanthropic organizations. The world is never
finite with people who have abundant interests in
lessening the burden of victims of natural
disasters. It is therefore natural if we invite them
to support DRR financing.
FIFTH, there must be coherence between
national capacity and local capacity. National
action plan must strengthen local action plan. It
16
must help local actors develop local DRR
programs.
This coherence is important because, in my
view, resilience at the national level and that at
the local level are mutually reinforcing.
If I may use an insight from one reference
document of this conference, I would say: like a
tree and its roots, the national level is the roots.
The community level is the leaves. And the
branches represent the administrative levels that
connect it all together.
And SIXTH, I believe that it is important to
integrate small-scale DRR and climate change
adaptation
(CCA)
initiatives
into
local
development processes. It is also important to
17
integrate local DRR and CCA initiatives into the
national development planning.
To support the implementation of DRR and
CCA
programs
at
the
local
level,
funding
mechanisms can be established at the national
level. In my view, well-funded local programs are
critical to target the most vulnerable.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Before I conclude, let me touch on the issue
of DRR from the perspective of the post-2015
development agenda.
As you might all be aware, I have been
tasked by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
together with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of
Liberia and Prime Minister David Cameron of the
United Kingdom, to Co-Chair the UN High-Level
18
Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015
Development Agenda.
The Panel has met in New York in September
2012, and we will meet again in London next
month.
I am glad that there was a common view in
the Panel during the first meeting on the
importance of factoring in natural disasters in
development agenda. The Panel viewed that
natural disasters and other crises could push
millions of people back into poverty. The Panel
also underlined that we must safeguard the
MDGs gains from setbacks caused by natural
disasters and climate change.
As a country that is prone to natural
disasters, Indonesia has commitment to ensure
19
that the post-2015 development agenda take into
account the natural disaster dimension.
I also recognize that the Hyogo Framework
for Action will end in 2015. I am glad that
consultative process towards post-2015 Hyogo is
on the way. In this regard, I hope this Conference
could also contribute to this process, and to the
post-2015 DRR agenda.
I am glad to learn that the Conference will
produce the Yogyakarta Declaration and Plan of
Action. I hope these documents will guide us in
our efforts to further enhance local capacity for
DRR in the future.
As a final note, I am fully aware that
discussing disasters are surely stressful and
highly demanding. I, therefore, urge you to relieve
20
your tension by exploring the ancient city of
Yogyakarta. And of course, after the Conference.
And
now,
by
saying,
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I declare the 5th Asian
Ministerial
Conference
for
Disaster
Risk
Reduction officially open. May the outcome of
this Conference bring benefits to all of us.
Thank you.