Disaster Risk Reduction (Drr) Capacity And Capability Of Local Government In Indonesia

Local government has a critical role to play in reducing risk for its communities. This has been recognised by the Government of Indonesia which has allocated responsibility for managing hazards and risk to local government in recent disaster management law reforms (Law 24 / 2007). However, the capacity and resources at provincial and district government levels to plan for and implement risk reduction measures are limited and there are few professional development and training opportunities currently available. To help identify specific strengths and opportunities for improvement, and to provide a disaster risk reduction (DRR) capacity and capability benchmark, a Local Government Self-Assessment Tool for DRR (LG-SAT-DRR) and an associated scoring system have been developed. Based on the Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (National Disaster Management Agency) self-assessment tool for disaster risk management (DRM), it has been expanded for DRR and a scoring system developed for benchmarking and communication purposes. To date the tool has been applied in eight districts in Indonesia. Results show a need for improvement in understanding hazards and risks, risk reduction activities, regulations, strategic planning, building development and controls and education and training. Community development, funding and networking generally scored higher. The districts have appreciated the snapshot of their current capacity and capability that the tool provides. The data gathering process and presentation of results provides an opportunity for further discussion and raising awareness about DRR. It also provides a focus for future action to reduce the risks of the community.