As a housewife dealing with the workload that comes with supporting children and a husband, Yeni said this training has given her important knowledge, providing her with a new insight into drought, which can severely disrupt family life – especially economically. ‘I learnt that we can reduce the impact of drought by exploring existing potential in the village. We learnt about threats, vulnerabilities, and capacity’, said Yeni.
This remarkable work dynamic left Eka barely enough time to think about herself and her family. It was the humanitarian call that led her and other Sekber members to operate beyond their official duties. Fortunately, this yielded positive results. The data managed by Sekber became not only a reference for policies and information shared by the media but also the basis for monitoring and evaluating the aid they received.
Efforts to manage this volunteer energy and role allocation are currently carried out in conjunction with the establishment of Disaster Resilient Villages (Destana) for administrative Villages and Disaster Resilient customary villages for customary villages. FPRB Bali, in collaboration with the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) at the provincial and district levels, is trying to promote this with the support of the SIAP SIAGA Program.
After the establishment of ULD-PB, Opdis’ role in disaster management has increased significantly. ‘ULD-PB can be seen as an instrument that will promote a change in the disaster management paradigm for people with disabilities. Previously, they were only seen as victims, if they were seen at all. Now, they can be actors in disaster-related affairs. Through ULD-PB, people with disabilities are expected to be able to reduce their own risk and even the risk of others.
BNPB believes that these local actors have an important role in improving local resilience and disaster risk management. ‘They live there, and of course, they are well known by the people there, so they have the ability to mobilise the local community. Their words are more likely to be heard. Outsiders may not be able to do this. Local context is very important in building local resilience and managing disaster risk’, said Mr Papang.
Local actor involvement in disaster risk management is growing stronger with the commitment of the Government of Indonesia to the concept of Sustainable Resilience. Local actors living in areas prone to disaster possess the knowledge to enrich disaster risk management policy. Empowering them as the frontline in disaster management is a strategic step in disaster resilience, climate change adaptation and sustainable development.
Yogi elaborated that the PFB operates as a fund management scheme to collect, accumulate, and distribute special disaster funds. This proactive approach is designed to protect the APBN from disaster-related financial pressures by investing in fund accumulation and transferring risks through insurance mechanisms. The PFB’s funding sources may include international donors via grants and trust funds. “The PFB is one of the elements of PARB and is key to orchestrating the various instruments within the disaster funding ecosystem,” she stated.
The book "Making Peace with Disasters: Learning Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies with Various Approaches in NTB" contains a collection of writings from a number of authors from regional government elements at the provincial and district levels as well as from non-governmental organisations. .