West Sumatra partners with Ministry of Social Affairs to digitalize disaster management

The West Sumatra Provincial Government is collaborating with the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs to accelerate the digitalization of disaster management through the SAPILIN (Integrated Disaster Management System) application. The initiative aims to improve the precision and speed of government responses to natural disasters.

During a meeting in Jakarta, West Sumatra Regional Secretary Arry Yuswandi emphasized the province's geographical vulnerability, describing it as a “supermarket of disasters” that requires accurate data for effective policy-making. The collaboration will focus on comprehensive management, including refugee handling, fulfillment of basic needs, strengthening Disaster Alert Villages (KSB), and improving the capacity of Tagana personnel.

Prof. Agus Zainal Arifin, Director General of Protection and Social Security at the Ministry of Social Affairs, expressed support for the move, noting that disaster-prone mapping should be central to regional development planning. The two parties have agreed to formalize this commitment through a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) to synchronize central and regional disaster mitigation efforts.