Indonesia can draw lessons from China’s disaster management experience, says expert-Xinhua

Indonesia can learn from China’s experience in disaster management to improve its own preparedness and resilience, according to an Indonesian expert. Recent floods and landslides across parts of Indonesia’s Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra provinces have resulted in over 1,000 deaths.

Indonesia Can Strengthen Disaster Management by Learning From China

The recent deadly disasters have highlighted Indonesia’s vulnerability to natural hazards and the urgent need to enhance its disaster management capacity, said Fuad Gani, deputy director for academic and student affairs at the Graduate School of Sustainable Development of the University of Indonesia.

Gani stressed that recovery efforts should be paired with improvements in preparedness, prevention, and long-term resilience. He noted China’s extensive experience and technical capacity in these areas.

“China has managed repeated large-scale disasters over the past decades, including major earthquakes, seasonal flooding and landslides, prompting the development of advanced emergency coordination systems, early-warning mechanisms and post-disaster recovery practices,” Gani said.

He believes that technical know-how and knowledge transfer are among the most valuable aspects of China’s experience. Learning from Chinese practices in flood control, geological risk assessment, and emergency logistics could improve Indonesia’s operational efficiency during crisis response.

Gani also highlighted the importance of disaster prevention and mitigation, pointing to China’s emphasis on reducing risks through structural measures like flood-control infrastructure, river-basin management, and land use planning, as well as non-structural measures, including community preparedness.

“For Indonesia, adapting these strategies could help prevent future disasters from escalating into large-scale humanitarian crises,” he said.

Infrastructure resilience is another area where lessons from China could be relevant. Drawing on experience in building codes, construction technologies, and affordable earthquake-resilient housing design would help protect lives and reduce economic losses in future disasters.

“China’s experience shows that disaster management does not stop at emergency response. Long-term planning, technical capacity and institutional learning are essential to building a more preventive and resilient disaster management system,” Gani said.