To help communities better prepare for floods, earthquakes and tsunamis, a new hazard impact modelling tool, the Indonesia scenario assessment for emergencies (InaSAFE), is being launched today.
Developed by Indonesia and Australia, together with the World Bank-Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, InaSAFE will make villages, towns and cities in Indonesia more resilient to natural disasters.
“Indonesia is one of the world’s most disaster prone countries. We can’t stop natural hazards from happening, but we can help people better prepare for them,” said the deputy for disaster reduction and preparedness from Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Dodi Ruswandi.
Available to anyone with basic computer skills, InaSAFE asks users a series of questions about a potential disaster scenario, then produces maps and reports estimating the potential damage caused to people and infrastructure.
“It is very difficult to prepare for a disaster without knowing who will be impacted and what will be damaged,” said the co-director of the Australian Government funded Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction, Matt Hayne.
“InaSAFE can answer these questions with a click of the mouse,” added Dr. Hayne.
InaSAFE works by combining hazard data from science agencies and universities with local infrastructure information provided by governments and communities.
“In the case of a flood, InaSAFE can help communities understand affected areas, how many people will need to be evacuated and sheltered, school and road closures and hospitals still able to take patients,” said the disaster risk management coordinator for East Asia and the Pacific from the World Bank, Abhas Jha.
Developed in Indonesia, InaSAFE is an innovative approach to understanding hazard impacts.
“There are already partners in the Asia region and around the world who are willing to join us in using, improving and refining InaSAFE,” added Abhas Jha.
InaSAFE was officially launched at the 5th Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction in Yogyakarta, held from the 23rd – 25th October.