T

he ongoing World Reconstruction Conference has been used by the Indonesian delegation to forge bilateral ties with other countries and world institutions in disaster management.

On the list of Indonesian partners for planned cooperation are Japan, South Korea, Australia and the World Bank.

With the World Bank, Indonesia has agreed to a Risk Transfer scheme, although no timetable of implementation has been discussed.

“The scheme will allow the World Bank to take up the financial expenses in reconstruction programs,” Syamsul Maarif, head of the National Disaster Management Coordination Board, told Antara news agency and The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a teleconference facilitated by the Indonesian Bureau of Netherlands Radio with media back home on Wednesday.

“The World Bank has also pledged to help us organize AMCDR, which we will host next year,” he said. The biennial Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Reduction will take place in Jakarta in October.

The 10-year average economic losses since 2000 is reported to be US$110 billion, while average insured losses total $35 billion.

While pushing for a platform to be agreed upon on how to reduce the impacts of possible future disasters, the World Reconstruction Conference, part of the third
session of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction, gives participants a chance to share experiences, exchange information and
set up cooperation in disaster management.

Indonesia’s planned cooperation looks to be timely, with commitment from the private sector to address more in disaster management.

“We acknowledge the threat posed by disasters and the importance of building resilience and recognize our role and responsibility in encouraging, supporting and acting on the reduction of disaster risks,” said a release made available to the media Tuesday.

In the Indonesian cooperation scheme, Australia has reportedly agreed to help the country establish a Disaster Relief Center for disaster management training for ASEAN countries, with the site likely to be in Sentul, West Java.

“They will also assist us in drills for disaster preparedness, especially in the event of a tsunami,” he said.

Indonesia is one of the countries concerned with disaster management following the deadly 2004 tsunami in Aceh, as well as other Indian Ocean countries. The recent series of disasters has cemented Indonesia’s status as a country prone to natural catastrophes.

Apart from the UN’s recognition of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a world champion in disaster management, much needs to be done to tackle post-disaster
problems.

Many of the victims displaced by the Mount Merapi eruptions in Yogyakarta, as reported in the Post earlier, are still struggling to rebuild their lives, with many of them remaining at evacuation centers.

Some of them have refused to be relocated, while rebuilding their destroyed villages is at risk of future eruptions.

Syamsul said it was up to the local government to tackle the issue, saying that it should be able to convince residents about the reconstruction scheme.

“I think Sultan [Hamengkubuwono X] could talk to them about the best way to reclaim their lives,” he said.

Given the slow pace of the reconstruction program, Indonesia is facing a daunting task in the reconstruction and rehabilitation program, for which Rp 63 trillion is said to have been allocated for 2011-2015.

Hopes abound that the planned cooperation would help ease the nation’s burden in the task.