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resident Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono is calling for worldwide cooperation in disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts as no single country is able to perform successfully alone when struck by a natural disaster.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the three-day Asia Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Yogyakarta on Tuesday, the President said that DRR was essential for a sustainable development process. It maintains the results of the development and mitigates the destructive impact of a natural disaster.

The biennial conference was attended by delegations from 50 countries in the Asia Pacific region and 20 other countries from other parts of the world, as well as by participants representing 200 international organizations and 170 national organizations.

Also attending the opening ceremony were Nauru President Sprent Arumogo Dabwido, the special representative of the secretary-general for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Margareta Wahlström, Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono X and National Disaster Management Board chairman Syamsul Maarif.

Yudhoyono said Indonesia had actively engaged in bilateral, regional and international cooperation to improve its disaster risk reduction capacity. At the bilateral level, Indonesia had cooperated with countries like Australia and Germany.

At the regional level, Indonesia is active on the ASEAN Committee for Disaster Management and the ASEAN regional forum on disaster relief exercises, while at the international level it has worked closely with the UNISDR.

The Indonesia Disaster Risk Index shows that of the 490 districts in Indonesia, 396 are highly prone to natural disasters, making the phenomenon as the most potent threat to national security and safety, Yudhoyono said.

Since the 2004 tsunami in Aceh, he said, the Indonesian government has put DRR as top priority in national policy.

Separately, Syamsul said that during the conference, Indonesia would share its experience on the implementation of DRR and climate change adaptation at the local level to the international community.

“We want to share the best lesson learned with the international community in the hope that our local dynamic may be adopted to a higher level,” Syamsul said, expressing hope that the meeting would provide input for the fourth session of the Global Platform for DRR forum in Geneva next year.

Margareta Wahlström, accordingly, said that the conference was very important for Indonesia, Asian countries and the world. Asia, she said, was the fastest region with the highest population who suffers the most during a natural disaster. “Without disaster risk reduction, the loss of development will continue in the world,” she said.