Klungkung, Bali (ANTARA) - Delegates of the 7th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) visited Karangasem and Klungkung districts in Bali to learn local wisdom on disaster mitigation.
During the field trip, held at the conclusion of the 2022 GPDRR forum, delegates learned about the importance of maintaining local wisdom followed by residents to reduce disaster risks in the community.
Karangasem district's deputy head, I Wayan Artha Dipa, said that residents in the district have set up disaster response teams called Pasebaya Agung in their respective communities.
The Pasebaya Agung have an important role in assisting in evacuations during a disaster and enhancing residents' awareness of volcanic disaster threats posed by the nearby volcano Mount Agung, he added.
"The involvement of volunteers, particularly the Pasebaya Agung established during the Mount Agung eruption in 2017, was essential to enhance residents' awareness and discipline. Local wisdom espoused by residents also enhances mitigation and evacuation efforts," Dipa told GPDRR delegates at Besakih Temple, Karangasem, Bali.
Meanwhile, Karangasem Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) executive head Ida Ketut Arimbawa pointed out that the district faces 11 out of 13 natural disaster threats detected in the province.
The 11 disaster threats in Klungkung are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flash floods, extreme weather, extreme waves, soil abrasion, forest fires, drought, landslides, tsunamis, and disease outbreaks, Arimbawa highlighted.
After spending time in Karangasem, the GPDRR delegates continued their trip to the Kerta Gosa tourism site in Klungkung district.
Klungkung district head, I Nyoman Suwirta, spoke to the delegates about the district's readiness in mitigating potential disasters by pointing out four existing evacuation routes around the Kerta Gosa site, which can be used in case of a tsunami or volcanic eruption.
"If a tsunami occurs, residents can escape upwards, while if the volcano erupts, residents can evacuate downwards," Suwirta said.
He also said that Klungkung has helped residents evacuated during volcanic eruptions in the past.
In response to local wisdom exhibited by Balinese residents, a delegate from Care International, Delvina, said she agreed that local wisdom must be emphasized in enhancing disaster mitigation measures.
"We must be ready from the community level," Delvina, who hailed from East Timor, added.
