Prabowo orders disaster mitigation masterplan as Indonesia grapples with multiple crises
Indonesia is tackling several crises, including the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, heightened volcanic activity and persistent forest fires.
A woman pours water in an area affected by wildfire in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra province, Indonesia on Sep 2, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Abriansyah Liberto)
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JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Monday (Sep 7) ordered the development of a comprehensive disaster mitigation masterplan, as the country grapples with several crises, including the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, heightened volcanic activity and persistent forest fires.
The government is overseeing recovery efforts on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province following an earthquake that killed over 100 people, while more recently, heightened activity at Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted around 3,000 flights and affected an estimated 341,000 passengers, local media reported.
Indonesia is also battling forest and land fires, particularly in Kalimantan and Sumatra, with haze spreading to neighbouring Malaysia, Brunei and as far as the Philippines.
Prabowo said that the archipelago’s geographic location on the Pacific Ring of Fire has made it highly susceptible to natural hazards. This, he stressed, has made it necessary to make significant improvements in the government’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
“This is our fate as a country situated on the Ring of Fire, compelling us to remain prepared for such situations at all times,” Prabowo said during a virtual cabinet meeting on disaster management on Monday, as quoted by national news agency Antara.
The president said he has instructed his cabinet and relevant officials to preposition disaster management resources and equipment well before incidents occur.
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The Indonesian government also plans to increase the use of aircraft for weather modification operations and explore the deployment of heavy-lift drones for aerial firefighting.
“We are preparing for mitigation, we must not wait for incidents to happen. We must prepare long beforehand,” he said.
To support these measures, Prabowo said that his administration will scale up the budget allocation for disaster management.
He also ordered the procurement of additional helicopters, water pumps, fire engines and small excavators tailored for rural areas prone to forest fires.
During the meeting on Monday, Prabowo also requested comprehensive progress reports on the ongoing disaster response efforts in Flores Island, at Mount Anak Krakatau and in fire-affected regions from both local governments as well as the relevant ministries and national agencies.
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Aug 15 in Indonesia’s Flores Island killed 129 people, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency on Sep 4. More than 98,000 homes were damaged, reported Metro TV.
Meanwhile, eight airports began halting operations over the weekend after Mount Anak Krakatau, about 150km from Jakarta, erupted late on Friday, spewing lava and volcanic ash.
As of Tuesday morning, Indonesia’s main international gateway – the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport – as well as five others are up and running again. Two of the original eight airports that were closed have not reopened.
Source: Agencies/ia(as)
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