NTB’s Multi-Disaster Mitigation: Investing in Civilization

Mitigation is a long-term fiscal investment to reduce recovery costs, maintain the continuity of public services, and protect the people's economy.

By Dr H Ahsanul Khalik
Head of the NTB Communication, Information, and Statistics Office.

Disasters strike without warning, and our awareness often comes only after they happen. When floods flood settlements, landslides cut off roads, droughts force people to wait in line for water, or earthquakes shatter homes and schools, we all start talking about mitigation.

But here’s the thing: mitigation should start long before the rain falls, before cracks appear in the ground, and before the sirens wail. At this point, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) needs to be honest: our region is brave enough to rebuild, but we still need the strength to prevent.

During a field trip while NTB Governor Miq Iqbal (Lalu Muhamad Iqbal) visited disaster-stricken areas in Lombok and Sumbawa, a clear message came through: multi-disaster mitigation is not an expense, but an investment in our civilization. 

It’s not just a slogan; it’s a new way of thinking about development. NTB lives in a complex world of risks—extreme weather, environmental problems, weak infrastructure, and the ever-present threat of earthquakes. If we only focus on speed and size without thinking about risk, we’re building on a shaky foundation. 
A single major disaster can wipe us out.

The disaster record since 2016 shows this isn’t just a coincidence, it’s a pattern. NTB has had a series of events, including floods, landslides, strong winds, forest and land fires, droughts, extreme waves, and earthquakes. 

We’ve seen how floods and landslides often happen after heavy rains, cutting off roads and damaging homes. We also endure dry seasons where people struggle to get clean water. Forest fires happen sometimes, which can be dangerous for our health and the environment.

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The worst of these trials was the 2018 Lombok Earthquake, one of the most devastating events in NTB’s history. The earthquake didn’t just shake buildings; it shook the very fabric of society. Homes were destroyed, public services were crippled, education was disrupted, and healthcare was hindered, leading to a long and arduous recovery process. 

Since then, NTB has faced recurring threats, especially extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. These events send a clear message: disasters in NTB are not isolated incidents, but a structural reality. 

So, our solutions can’t be just reactive measures. We can no longer act like “firefighters.” We need a shift in mindset: from responding to risks, to being proactive, and from sectoral to systemic. 

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Integrated Into Development

Global disaster management literature emphasizes a paradigm shift: disasters can’t just be handled during emergencies; they must be managed as development risks. Indonesian disaster literature, like the work of Wignyo Adiyoso, emphasizes a holistic approach that includes prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. 

In essence, disaster management must go beyond logistics and temporary shelters; it must be integrated into public policy from the start. Put simply, the quality of development determines the scale of casualties when a disaster strikes.

Good ideas often don’t work out in practice. Disaster management still has problems, especially the gap between different levels of government and the lack of community involvement in planning. 

NTB still has these issues. Some areas are strong, while others are weak. Some villages are active, while others are waiting for guidance. So, Governor Miq Iqbal’s policy is important: we all need to work together to reduce the impact of disasters. The provincial government, district governments, and villages can’t do it alone. They all need to focus on one thing: keeping the people safe.

Environment

In NTB, natural disasters are closely linked to the environment. When forests are damaged, catchment areas are smaller, and rivers are shallow or blocked, rain becomes a danger. In the rainy season, water rushes down carrying debris, causing floods and landslides. In the dry season, water disappears, causing crises. 

Regional data shows that forest damage and pressure on water catchment areas make these risks worse. At the same time, climate change makes weather unpredictable. That’s why we can’t just do physical projects to reduce disasters. We need to do things that change the root causes: restore the ecosystem.

Reforestation, protecting water springs, and strengthening absorption zones are investments that will last for years. Building village reservoirs, infiltration wells, and green infrastructure should be seen as ways to reduce risks, not just as environmental projects. 

This is how we protect public safety. Governor Miq Iqbal understands this: without a healthy environment, there can’t be a stable economy. Agriculture can’t survive without water, and tourism can’t thrive in areas prone to disasters. So, reducing disasters is essential for growth.

Earthquake Mitigation as culture

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Hydrometeorology needs ecological restoration, but earthquakes demand strict building safety standards. NTB is in a high-risk zone, so they can’t rely on luck. Earthquakes can’t be prevented, but we can reduce loss of life if we build homes and public facilities correctly. 

The 2018 earthquake showed that many of the buildings that got damaged didn’t meet earthquake-resistant principles. So, we need to make sure that schools, clinics, markets, and houses of worship meet safety standards. This is the government’s responsibility to make sure citizens don’t live in fragile structures.

Earthquake mitigation is also about changing our mindset. We need to make evacuation simulations, disaster training, and school-based risk education habits, not just ceremonies. 

Citizens need to know how to protect themselves and evacuate quickly without panic. Field notes show that the best way to prepare is to get to know our community. 

Governor Miq Iqbal is pushing for mitigation to become a part of our culture, involving schools, religious leaders, youth, and volunteers. In the first hours of a disaster, the fastest responders are the citizens themselves.

Biggest challenge

NTB has many initiatives and programs, but the biggest challenge is getting them all to work together. 

Disasters don’t happen in one area, but our responses often do. Reforestation, spatial planning, infrastructure, and education often work in separate silos. Forest damage worsens floods, which damage roads, which then hinder evacuations and increase casualties. 

This increases the social and financial burden, reducing the space for development and hitting the economy. This cycle repeats. 

So, Miq Iqbal want disaster management needs to become the “common language” of NTB’s development. Every regional office should include a risk perspective, and every physical project should pass a mitigation assessment.

Misconception

There’s this common misconception that mitigating risks is super expensive. But that’s not true at all! What’s really costly is dealing with the damage and the endless recovery process. 

Imagine having to keep fixing the same things every year, like roads that break because of poor drainage or settlements that flood because of rising sea levels. It’s not only expensive, but it’s also incredibly stressful for the people who live there. 

Mitigation is like making a smart investment in the future. It protects our economy and our way of life.

Now, with all this technology we have these days, we can make mitigation even better. We can use sensors, IoT, and digital platforms to get early warnings and make sure people are safe. 

But we need to make sure that the technology doesn’t just sit on a dashboard. We need to make sure that people understand what’s happening and how to take action. We need to create a system where technology meets the community and data meets local wisdom.

One thing that’s important is that we need to do more research to figure out what strategies work best and how to create integrated tsunami-earthquake mitigation models that are based on our specific geological and social character. We need to make sure that our plans are effective and that we can protect our people from these risks.

So, what does this all mean for NTB? Well, it means that we need to focus on building a resilient and safe society. It means that we need to prioritize the safety of our people over economic growth. It means that we need to make mitigation a top priority and not just a side note.

If we do this, we can create a legacy for future generations that will be truly remarkable. We can build a NTB that is not just prosperous and global, but also resilient and civilized.

This article has been translated by AI. See original.

Editor: Ismail Zakaria