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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.9
Publication Date: September 25, 2020
DOI:10.14738/assrj.79.8985.
Sarjito, A., Thamrin, S., & Santosa, A. I. (2020). Crisis Management Policy of Natural Disaster. Advances in Social Sciences Research
Journal, 7(9) 183-192.
Crisis Management Policy of Natural Disaster
Aris Sarjito
Indonesian Defense University,
Bogor, Indonesia
Suyono Thamrin
Indonesian Defense University,
Bogor, Indonesia
Anton Iman Santosa
Indonesian Defense University,
Bogor, Indonesia
ABSTRACT
Indonesia is the country that has the most active volcanoes in the entire
world. The Eurasian Plate, the Pacific Plate, and the Indo-Australian
Plate are three active tectonic plates that cause collision zones to form
these volcanoes. Indonesia is estimated to have 129 volcanoes, all of
which are carefully monitored by the Centre for Volcanology and
Geological Disaster Mitigation. This is done because several volcanoes
in Indonesia continue to show activity. Moreover, it is estimated that
more than five million people live in the "danger zone" of a volcano
where they must be immediately evacuated if the mountain shows
significant upward activity (Indonesia-Investment, 2019). However,
efforts to reduce the risk of natural hazards remain largely
uncoordinated in different types of hazards and do not necessarily focus
on areas with the highest disaster risk. This paper uses a descriptive
qualitative approach as the main writing approach and uses crisis
management theory by Rosenthal, that crisis management involves
efforts: (1) to prevent a crisis from occurring; (2) to prepare better
protection against the impact of crisis agents; (3) to make effective
responses to the actual crisis; and (4) to provide plans and resources for
post-crisis recovery and rehabilitation. The results of this study are: (1)
to accelerate forest recovery, the government can engage the
community with security and welfare approach; (2) natural disaster
management is the main responsibility of the government; (3) In crises
due to natural disasters, form a team that is responsive to critical
situations. This team was formed by involving government agencies,
community leaders, and NGOs; and (4) to increase the government's
capacity to reduce the impact of natural disasters, assessment of
potential damage, the establishment of an early warning system, and the
improvement of disaster-resistant capabilities are needed.
Keywords: Crisis Management; Natural Disaster; Policy.
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 9, September-2020
INTRODUCTION
Earthquakes, floods, droughts, and other natural hazards cause tens of thousands of deaths,
hundreds of thousands of injuries and billions of dollars in economic losses every year worldwide.
Many billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance, emergency loans, and development assistance
are issued each year. Natural disasters often damage the accumulated results of physical
development and human capital that have been achieved over many years and can cause a
slowdown in the speed of convergence towards a steady-state economy in the context of the
country. However, efforts to reduce the risk of natural hazards remain largely uncoordinated in
different types of hazards and do not necessarily focus on areas with the highest disaster risk.
The earthquake occurred off the coast of Sumatra, registering 9.0 on the Richter scale, and causing
tsunami waves that swept through the Indian Ocean at a rate of 500-700 km per hour, devastating
coastal areas of countries across South and Southeast Asia and East Africa. More than 220,000
people were killed, thousands more were injured, and millions were affected. Damage to
infrastructure, social systems, and the environment has been substantial. The initial damage and
needs assessment carried out by the World Bank and other partners estimated damage of nearly $
6 billion for Indonesia, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka alone (Dilley, 2005).
Indonesia is a prominent country with a land area of approximately 1.9 million square kilometers
and a population of 217 million. Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area with a lot of tectonic
activity, Indonesia must constantly face the risk of natural disasters: volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes, floods, and tsunamis. In the last few decades, Indonesia has made headlines in the
world media due to terrible natural disasters that have caused the death of hundreds of thousands
of people and animals, and destroyed its land area including much infrastructure, resulting in
economic losses.
Indonesia is the country that has the most active volcanoes in the entire world. The Eurasian Plate,
the Pacific Plate, and the Indo-Australian Plate are three active tectonic plates that cause collision
zones to form these volcanoes. Indonesia is estimated to have 129 volcanoes, all of which are
carefully monitored by the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation. This is done
because several volcanoes in Indonesia continue to show activity. Moreover, it is estimated that
more than five million people live in the "danger zone" of a volcano where they must be immediately
evacuated if the mountain shows significant upward activity (Indonesia-Investment, 2019).
The conditions faced by Indonesia, geographical location, archipelagic region, tectonic formation,
largest population, and tropical climate, place the country in the highest disaster risk category for
tropical geo-hazards, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, and forest fires.
Over the years, Indonesia has repeatedly experienced the same types of disasters. Earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, floods/debris flows, landslides, slope failures, and wildfires are
especially frequent, and measures to control and reduce these disasters are needed urgently.
The following table, sourced from the BNPB (Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management),
is a disaster trend in Indonesia that occurred in the last 10 years.
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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.79.8985 185
Sarjito, A., Thamrin, S., & Santosa, A. I. (2020). Crisis Management Policy of Natural Disaster. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(9) 183-192.
Fogure 1: Disaster Trend of Indonesia
Source: http://dibi.bnpb.go.id/dibi/
The Asia Pacific Disaster Report prepared by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction (UN / ISDR) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(ESCAP) on 26 October 2010, reported that during the 1980-2009 period in Asia Pacific countries,
Indonesia was located ranked fourth in terms of experiencing natural disasters, with around 312
cases, ranked second in terms of the highest number of deaths, which is around 191,164 people, and
has an economic loss of at least US $ 22.5 billion. These statistics make disaster prevention studies
a high research priority for growth economists to identify optimal policies to deal with the effects
of events that occur quickly, especially in the context of developing countries like Indonesia (Miyata,
2018).
The policy recommendations derived from this study are not only intended as a panacea in dealing
with natural disasters. But also, in reducing the impact of worse natural disasters. However, the
most important point is that this recommendation model can be used to simulate and predict the
results of the highest utility development policies implemented by the government, both central
and regional.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Policy
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines policy is a law, regulation, procedure,
administrative action, incentive, or voluntary practice of government and other institutions. Policy
decisions are frequently reflected in resource allocations.
While Thomas R. Dye said that public policy is whatever governments choose to do or not to do.
Governments do many things. They regulate conflict within society; they organize society to carry
on conflict with other societies; they distribute a great variety of symbolic rewards and material