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Building Local Capacity on Disaster Assessment for Better Mitigation

Participants of Local Implementation on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030 and the Making Cities Resilient Campaign (MCR), November 22-23, 2017 at Hotel Sunan, Surakarta.

EYEING for strengthened capacity of local governments in mitigating disaster risks, UCLG ASPAC organized the Local Implementation on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030 and the Making Cities Resilient Campaign (MCR) on 22nd and 23rd November 2017 at Hotel Sunan, Surakarta. The event was attended by 19 Local Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) officers from 11 invited Indonesian cities and regencies (Banda Aceh, Jambi, Padang, Bengkulu, Cilacap, Semarang, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Trenggalek, Makassar, and Surabaya).

The overall objective of the training was to build capacity of local government on Sendai Framework Scorecard tools and to strengthen the commitment of local government in mainstreaming Sendai Framework through signing MCR Campaign and to discuss the progress of SFDRR scorecard tools resulting from the first national workshop. The specific objective of the training workshop was to practice the Sendai Framework DRR tools such as Quick Risk Estimation (QRE), preliminary assessment scorecard tools, and city

action plan in order to identify gaps in policies for disaster prevention at the city level.

Representative from Yogyakarta City Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) shared about the city’s experience in managing disaster. Yogyakarta has integrated the city’s action plan with the Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient since January 2017. There were also several programmes supporting the resilience city agenda such as Kampung Tangguh Bencana (Disaster Resilient at the urban village level), Sekolah Siaga Bencana (Ready School for Disaster), and Forum Relawan Bencana (Disaster Voluntary Forum). However, the implementation stage has shown gaps between governance and financial capacity. Besides, weaknesses in post-event recovery actions were identified.

During the workshop, Banda Aceh City gained resilience score 81 out of 141, showing the city has reached medium level on each essential point, particularly essential number eight (assess the capacity and adequacy of, as well as linkages between critical infrastructure systems and upgrade as necessary according to risk identified in essential two). Banda Aceh City experienced massive earthquake and tsunami in 2004 and many local and international funds helped the recovery process and built the city’s infrastructure ever since.

Discussion in the training also conveyed that several cities have seen determination from private sectors to get involved in local government’s effort to manage disaster, to even play bigger role in cooperation with local authorities for prevention of DRR at local level. These actions include the improvement of cooperation with community for risk assessment and local DRR planning and implementation by strengthening local government’s capacity to mainstream DRR into local development programs in disaster prone city area.

In concluding session of the training, Bengkulu City signed the commitment letter for taking part in the UNISDR Making Cities Resilient Campaign programme. On behalf of Mayor of Bengkulu City, Mr. Satroman (Bengkulu City BPBD’s Secretary) submitted the city mayor letter to the UNISDR representative, Mr. Tejas Patnaik during the training closing ceremony on 23rd November 2017.