Monday, November 20, 2023, in Banjar Pebuahan, Banyubiru, Jembrana, Bali. Through mobile phones, the local Community Disaster Management Group (CDMG/KMPB) informed about flash floods and high waves due to extreme weather in the Jembrana region. As a result of this incident, several houses were damaged. Most of them were submerged in water mixed with mud, and some local residents began to evacuate.
The Bali Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Jembrana District BPBD, Jembrana District PMI, local radio news, and television media have also disseminated emergency disaster information through various media. Simultaneously, the Jembrana District BPBD team took Emergency Actions by establishing temporary shelters, providing Public Kitchens, and First Aid together with the Jembrana District PMI, assisted by local military and police forces.
This information served as the basis for us to ensure a prompt Emergency Response. Coordination was also carried out with Save the Children and other partner institutions regarding efforts to provide appropriate and effective support to the affected residents. Simultaneously, less than 24 hours after the disaster was announced, the Regent of Jembrana declared a “Emergency Response Status for Flash Floods and High Waves” in Jembrana District.
The Disaster Emergency Response Team (TDB) quickly arrived at the flash flood location in Pebuahan, Banyubiru, to conduct a rapid assessment and coordinate with the Jembrana District BPBD, village government, Jembrana District PMI, and the Radio Antar Penduduk Indonesia (RAPI). Other partner institutions followed suit the next day to reach the location.
From left: I Putu Agus Artana Putra (BPBD Jembrana District), I Komang Yuhartono (Banyubiru Village Head), P&K Staff BPBD Bali Province), and Muchamad Awal (IDEP Foundation Executive Director) (Photo: Nicolaus Sulistyo/IDEP)
The assistance provided to residents is carried out through several assessments based on a series of information gathered from observations and approaches to the community. Simultaneously, each member of the Emergency Response Team conducts detailed data collection on the needs of disaster-affected residents. This is complemented by other data containing information as a basis for providing long-term assistance.
For four days, partners continued to coordinate in the field. The information includes the establishment of a logistics procurement system with a supply chain, the creation of a situation report (Sitrep), proposals, and a Plan of Action (POA). All these results will be presented and managed collectively among partners in cluster meetings and in coordination with the Jembrana District BPBD’s Disaster Emergency Response meeting. Assistance will be provided thereafter based on assessments of the location, damage, and resources that have been managed previously.
The entire disaster emergency response activities serve as a simulation, representing the culmination of the entire series of Emergency Response Training organized by IDEP and Save the Children. This training is an effort to build a disaster risk management system and strengthen emergency response capacity for individuals and partner institutions working in disaster-prone areas.
Indonesia faces a high risk of disasters due to its geological location (between four major tectonic plates) and geographical factors (tropical, meeting two oceans and two continents). Risks include earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, flash floods, landslides, extreme weather, extreme waves, abrasion, drought, and forest fires.
Despite the high threat of disasters and their potential for devastating impacts, unfortunately, the capacity to handle disasters is unevenly distributed in each region. In practice, emergency response often focuses on the number of casualties and losses, neglecting the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights, as well as environmentally friendly emergency responses. This can begin with good habits in managing organic and inorganic waste and providing child-friendly spaces in disaster-affected locations.
Accommodating children’s activities for safe and comfortable play and learning through the provision of child-friendly spaces (Photo: Hamzah/IDEP)
Every institution or group has its own needs and areas of specialization. These differences provide a good opportunity to network and form an effective, efficient, and collaborative emergency response system. This is also inseparable from the practice of creating space for social inclusion so that all humanitarian work is always grounded in gender equality, including prioritizing vulnerable groups (children, the elderly, and people with disabilities). In other words, a good emergency response system should be able to see how vulnerable groups can save themselves, not just dictate where they should seek refuge.
“This activity focuses on children, is environmentally friendly, and sensitive to gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). Children will remain children in any situation, including during disasters. (And) response efforts cannot be separated from the environmental context, as this will be a sustainable environment,” said Putu Suryawan Nadi, the IDEP Program Coordinator.
The Disaster Emergency Response Training (TDB) took place in a hybrid format in two sessions, attended by 32 participants representing institutions or groups from various regions. Among them were the Yayasan CIS Timor Indonesia (Kupang), Yayasan Victory Plus (Yogyakarta), Perkumpulan Stimulant Institute (Sumba), Yayasan Paramitra Indonesia (Batu), Yayasan Sanggar Perempuan (Timor Tengah Selatan), PKBI (DIY), Migrant Care (Kebumen), Yayasan Tunas Alam Indonesia/SANTAI (NTB), Yayasan Jaringan Peduli Masyarakat (Kupang), Ragam Gender dan Sexualitas /Lembaga Pelangi Sehati (Lombok), Yayasan Pengkajian dan Pengembangan Sosial/ YPPS (Flores), Yayasan Barakat (NTT), PMI Jembrana District (Bali), IDEP Volunteer (Bali), dan Save the Children (Jakarta).
Through the online session (40 hours/1800 minutes) on November 13-18, 2023, all participants engaged in activities remotely from their respective areas. Meanwhile, during the offline session (72 hours) on November 22-24, 2023, all participants gathered at Pebuahan Beach and formed four clusters. The training concluded with an SOP workshop and evaluation conducted by IDEP and Save the Children as organizers, along with all involved partners.
Conducting home visits as part of an assessment is the initial step for participants to create a Plan of Action (Photo: Nicolaus Sulistyo/IDEP)
This training activity is expected to serve as a coordination space among partners, so the network built during the event becomes the foundation for forming high-quality and effective rapid response and actions. Additionally, this coordination is also expected to be a platform for knowledge exchange, leading to future planning and strategies to enhance community resilience through the provision of long-term assistance and post-disaster efforts.
Article: Nicolaus Sulistyo © IDEP Foundation
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