Disaster managers in Indonesia turn training into action

Pacific Disaster Center delivered InAWARE training to over 200 BNPB and BPBD staff in Indonesia in the month of July, bringing the total number of trained users since the InAWARE project began to 648. The July training activity also delivered a national-level Train-the-Trainer (TtT) session to BNPB and BPBD staff, bringing the total number of certified InAWARE trainers to more than 50.

This recent training effort, part of an ongoing project supported by USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, has especially extended the cadre of InAWARE users in provincial, district, and municipal disaster management agencies (BPBD) in West Sumatra, Central Java, Bali, and Yogyakarta. Newly-minted InAWARE trainers supported these provincial training sessions, giving them an opportunity to practice and hone their training skills. Trainees demonstrated their mastery of, and enthusiasm for, InAWARE, with Agam, a local district BPBD in West Sumatra, conducting independent in-house InAWARE user training for their staff, shortly followed by similar training in Papua and Maluku provinces.

While these training figures are, in and of themselves significant, real achievements were seen after training when BPBD staff returned to their offices and began using InAWARE  for their disaster operations.  The recent wildfires in the West Pasaman Regency highlighted the value of InAWARE, with both BNPB (national) and BPBD (provincial and district) staff using the system to share Hazard information in a timely and effective manner.

Preparedness is considered a global disaster management priority, a concept that has been embraced by the Indonesian disaster management community.  The concept extends from the  national-level, all the way down to communities, households, and individuals. For the disaster management community in Indonesia, InAWARE provides decision makers and responders with timely, understandable, and reliable information about hazards, helping to protect lives and livelihoods throughout the country.

To understand more about InAWARE see:

• A video tweet by BNPB
• See what USAID OFDA is doing in east Asia
• See the work USAID is doing in Indonesia PDC’s story of InAWARE training in 2014
• The 2016 Train-the-Trainer effort
• UN SPIDER stakeholders meeting on InAWARE
• Or, go to PDC and search “InAWARE”