Indonesia urges ASEAN shift to long-term disaster strategies

Neena Mae Rayos, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
July 31, 2026

(Photo Courtesy: Department of Social Welfare and Development | FB)

JAKARTA – At the 48th ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, Indonesia urged a strategic shift from basic disaster risk reduction to a comprehensive framework of long-term sustainable resilience for Southeast Asia.

Director General Ina Krisnamurthi emphasized a shared resilience model that extends beyond immediate emergency response to proactive crisis anticipation.

“Without cooperation, sustainable resilience cannot be realized,” Krisnamurthi said.

The gathering, themed around strengthening community preparedness, prioritized leveraging improved disaster risk data to facilitate faster and more coordinated regional reactions before crises escalate.

National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Principal Secretary Rustian highlighted the critical need to effectively implement the 2026-2030 AADMER Work Programme to ensure these resilience efforts deliver tangible benefits while supporting the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

To operationalize this vision, Indonesia plans to enhance regional early warning systems, specifically the ASEAN Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Preparedness System (AMPD), and promote sustainable investment to boost local response capacities.

The meeting convened representatives from all ten ASEAN member states and nine dialogue partners, including Australia, Canada, the EU, France, New Zealand, Russia, Turkiye, the UK, and the US.