Initiative: PetaBencana.id
Institution: Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana
Problem: As weather patterns intensify and become increasingly unpredictable, cities in Indonesia are regularly faced with the challenges of extreme weather events. A lack of access to verified, real-time data compromises the ability to make informed decisions for planning and response, resulting in ineffective resource management, confusion, and conflict.
Solution: Flood management is approached from a holistic view that includes (i) Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and public utilities for flood reporting; (ii) platform which implements strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and (iii) disaster risk management. By providing free real-time disaster information, and making it possible to safely and easily share it, the platform leverages capacities for all residents to equally participate in decision-making. The platform is designed to operate smoothly with the other existing platforms such as instant messaging, social media, and SMS-based communications. The project is intended for underfunded communities, agencies with limited technical means, and individuals with modest means for data usage.
Impact: Since the launch of PetaBencana.id website in December 2015, the platform has been accessed 737,102 times by 361,478 unique users, with new users making up approximately 80 per cent of these visits. While the number of website visits for the monsoon season is typically less than 500 per day, during peak events such as those experienced in February 2015, 2017, and 2018, the number of views has scaled up to 21,000 per cent. PetaBencana.id is a good example of community-led data collection, sharing, and visualization to reduce flood risk and assist in relief efforts.