Disaster Mitigation Still Poor

Kompas/Karina Isna Irawan

The scene at a Mount Agung evacuation post in GOR Swecapura, Klungkung regency, Bali, on Wednesday (11/10). Three weeks of living in an evacuation camp has not been easy for evacuees, most of whom have lost their livelihoods since Mount Agung was upgraded to alert status.

KARANGASEM, KOMPAS — Despite having been through many volcanic eruptions, Indonesia is still inexperienced in dealing with the disaster. The crisis related to Mount Agung in Bali is the latest example.

Aside from the limited availability of equipment and capacity for monitoring, the social economic and cultural dynamic has not been put into consideration in the disaster mitigation management. Until Sunday (15/10), or 25 days after the high alert status was issued, the end of the tunnel of the Mount Agung crisis cannot been set.