Editorial: Disasters in Indonesia

An editorial by Ben Wisner on the recent disasters in Indonesia

Whilst ministers address similar issues at the fourth Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction...

• Hundreds are killed in tsunami off shore of Java where there is STILL no EWS; after all the discussion about and investment in EWS after the Indian Ocean tsunami, why still no EWS for these islands?
  > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11626242


• People are killed as Merapi volcano erupts again; should there not be an EWS? CBDRR in place since the eruptions are frequent? Why was reaction so delayed that some villagers are not 'stranded' by poor visibility caused by ash fall? Why are some people refusing to leave the danger zone? Why, by now, isn't there cooperation between 'medicine men' who traditionally warn of volcano eruptions and the Western scientists?
  > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11625154


• Cholera spreads among the displaced in Haiti. there have been warnings since the earthquake. what does this say about 'early recovery' and the opportunity to 'build back better'?
  > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11632738


• and cholera also hits Pakistan three months after the monumental flooding there
  > http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/JALR-8ALHEZ?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=FL-2010-000141-PAK


• Flooding in China continues, making 2010 the worst year for floods in China for a long time.
  > http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66J1NR20100720
  > http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world/china-evacuates-440000-as-floods-hit-hainan-province_100442875.html

All of this suffering can be prevented. No new knowledge or technology is needed. Only political will on the part of the national and local governments in place.

Ben Wisner is an author, and co-founder of RADIX, a network addressing the social aspects of disaster management.