A big part of Indonesia is located in the so called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area which is regularly hit by natural disasters. The impact of such disasters can be enormous – as evidenced by the 2004 tsunami, and many times again since then. To help the population prepare, Malteser International, in cooperation with its local partner organisation YEU, supports the creation and training of local disaster management committees. Through a participatory approach, the committees develop action plans for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), including the necessary steps to prepare for emergencies and defining the roles and responsibilities of the disaster management committees. By conducting awareness campaigns and regular mock drills, the population is able to practice the correct conduct before, during and after a disaster. 

In addition, the project ensures that evacuation centres are equipped adequately, and provides trainings in first aid and evacuation for the local population. To warn the population in case of an earthquake, a public earthquake warning system has been set up. And, in order to improve the resilience of the coastal communities in the longer term, Malteser International is setting up mangrove nurseries in several villages and training residents to manage them by forming Community Mangrove Preservation Committees.