Badung, Bali (ANTARA) - Tanjung Benoa village in Badung district, Bali, can serve as an example of tsunami preparedness for other Indonesian regions, Bali Deputy Governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati remarked on Saturday.
"The international recognition of Tsunami Ready Community is not the end of activities that would make us fall into excessive pride and euphoria," Sukawati said at an event held to ratify and hand over the International Certificate of Tsunami Ready Community from UNESCO-IOC to Tanjung Benoa village.
The certificate was handed over by the director of UNESCO’s Jakarta Office, Muhamed Djelid. He was accompanied by head of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Dwikorita Karnawati; an official from UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Unit, Denis Chang Seng; and head of Tanjung Benoa village, I Wayan Sudiana.
"This international recognition is the beginning of sustainable work to realize a responsive and resilient society in facing the threat of tsunamis," the deputy governor said.
In the future, Tanjung Benoa village is expected to serve as a role model for other coastal villages across Indonesia, Sukawati added.
"Of course, (this would involve) replicating the value and knowledge of disasters and synergizing with local wisdom in their respective regions," he said.
Bali has many local wisdom values that can be applied to reduce disaster risks by prioritizing the sanctity and harmony of nature and its elements, he pointed out.
"This has been translated into the vision of Bali Development, Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali, which has the meaning of maintaining the harmony of nature and its contents to realize a prosperous and joyful Balinese krama (community), physically and spiritually," he explained.
Furthermore, Sukawati said, the Tsunami Ready Community of Tanjung Benoa village is expected to support the promotion of Indonesian and Balinese tourism, which can be useful for tourism recovery and Bali's economy as well as building resilience against disasters.
"Natural disasters can never be predicted. Therefore, vigilance against disasters and emergency response is a must," he added.
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