PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. BANDUNG - Acting Governor of West Java Bey Machmudin asked districts and cities to be alert for disasters entering the rainy season.

According to Bey, the rainy season has started to fall sporadically in several areas in West Java and the BMKG predicts that the peak season will occur in January - March 2024.

Floods and landslides are the disasters that you should be most wary of. Data from the Center for Volcanology and Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG), based on areas of potential ground movement as of November 2023, there are 473 sub-districts out of 627 sub-districts in West Java that have medium - high potential for ground movement.

"We must respond to this data and phenomenon wisely and vigilantly," said Bey Machmudin during a Hydrometeorological Disaster Preparedness rally at the West Java Province level in Bale Rame Sabilulungan Soreang, Bandung Regency, Wednesday (8/11/23).

According to Bey, strategic steps that district and city governments can take are, first, intensive monitoring of the conditions of each potential area as a source of disaster and/or affected by disaster.

Second, convey disaster threat information that the public can easily understand. Third, prepare and check all resources that must be deployed at any time to handle disaster emergencies.

Fourth, prepare evacuation routes and places down to the village and sub-district level. "As well as making contingency plans from the district and city level to the village and sub-district level," said Bey.

Before the disaster alert call, the West Java Provincial Government also held a coordination meeting on handling flood and landslide disasters with various stakeholders. Bey said that the success of disaster management depends on the disaster management system, adequate supporting infrastructure, and good coordination between stakeholders and communities in disaster-prone areas.

The alert call was attended by security units, vertical agencies, provincial and city district officials, as well as PMI and disaster volunteers. According to the Head of West Java Province BPBD Dani Ramdhan, stakeholders are divided into eight clusters.

Starting from the search and rescue cluster with the Basarnas coordinator assisted by the TNI/Polri, the refugee cluster, the education cluster (education department), the infrastructure cluster (PU and BBWS departments), the logistics cluster (social services, Bulog, BPBD), the security cluster (TNI/ National Police, Satpol PP), protection cluster (Damkar), and health cluster with health service coordinator.