Interview: Indonesia can draw lessons from China's disaster management experience, says expert

JAKARTA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia can draw lessons from China's disaster management experience to strengthen its own preparedness and resilience, an Indonesian expert has said.

Recent floods and landslides in parts of Indonesia's Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra provinces have killed more than 1,000 people.

The deadly disasters have once again underscored Indonesia's high exposure to natural hazards and the urgent need to enhance its disaster management capacity, said Fuad Gani, deputy director for academic and student affairs at the Graduate School of Sustainable Development of the University of Indonesia, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

While emergency response efforts are ongoing, Gani stressed that recovery should go hand in hand with greater structural improvements in preparedness, prevention and long-term resilience.

He noted that China is among the countries with extensive experience and technical capacity that Indonesia can draw upon.

"China has managed repeated large-scale disasters over the past decades, including major earthquakes, seasonal flooding and landslides, prompting the development of advanced emergency coordination systems, early-warning mechanisms and post-disaster recovery practices," he said.

From his perspective, one of the most valuable aspects of China's experience lies in technical know-how and knowledge transfer. Gani noted that learning from Chinese practices in flood control, geological risk assessment, and emergency logistics could help Indonesia improve operational efficiency during crisis response.

Gani also highlighted the importance of adopting effective approaches to disaster prevention and mitigation. He pointed to China's emphasis on reducing disaster risks through both structural measures, such as flood-control infrastructure, river-basin management and land use planning, as well as non-structural measures, including community preparedness.

"For Indonesia, adapting these strategies could help prevent future disasters from escalating into large-scale humanitarian crises," he said.

Infrastructure resilience is another area where lessons from China could be particularly relevant, Gani added. Drawing on experience in building codes, construction technologies and affordable earthquake-resilient housing design would help protect lives and reduce economic losses in future disasters.

"China's experience shows that disaster management does not stop at emergency response. Long-term planning, technical capacity and institutional learning are essential to building a more preventive and resilient disaster management system," Gani said. ■