On 29^th February, 2016, Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) hosted a workshop together with PMI and the IFRC on ‘strengthening law and disaster risk reduction in Indonesia’.  The workshop brought together participants from different ministries, UN agencies, civil society and the private sector to discuss how well disaster risk reduction is addressed in the legal framework in Indonesia.

This was an opportunity to share and verify the initial findings of an ongoing research study, commissioned by PMI and IFRC, and to use the ‘Checklist on Law and DRR’ to assess the relevant laws and regulations in Indonesia.  Priority areas for further action were identified, including improved overall implementation, better inclusion of gender and diversity concerns, as well as stronger accountability measures. The feedback from this discussion will be integrated into the final research report, which will also include a proposed plan of action for strengthening the content and implementation of the legal framework  for DRR in Indonesia.

The discussions at the workshop were well-timed, with BNPB also in the process of developing its baseline report and identifying next steps for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR, which calls upon states and key partners to ensure the right laws and policies are in place, especially when it comes to safety-enhancing measures for DRR and community participation.

See: Workshop Report and the resulting checklist assessment report “Strengthening Law and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Indonesia” published in November 2016.

News: “On the path to resilience: Indonesia harnesses its laws to promote disaster risk reduction“, published 30 March 2016 at ifrc.org