JAKARTA – The Deputy Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Wamendes PDT), Ahmad Riza Patria, attended a collaboration event hosted by ICMI DKI Jakarta titled "Society Ready to Learn from Japan for Indonesia's Disaster Preparedness," held at the Kemendes PDT Operational Room on Saturday (August 8, 2026).

The seminar was organized by the South Jakarta Regional Board of the Association of Indonesian Islamic Intellectuals (ORDA ICMI) in collaboration with Japanese partners.

Deputy Minister Ariza expressed deep appreciation for the initiative, noting that Indonesia is among the countries facing high disaster risk profiles. While natural disasters cannot be prevented, their impacts can be mitigated. Therefore, learning from a country with high disaster preparedness standards like Japan is essential.

"Japan's experience demonstrates that a nation's resilience is built not only through technology, but also through a disciplined, well-trained, and mutually caring citizenry," Deputy Minister Ariza stated.

Deputy Minister Ariza detailed that Indonesia encompasses more than 75,000 villages, each with distinct geographical characteristics and unique challenges. These include coastal villages facing tsunami and storm surge risks, as well as mountain-slope villages that must remain vigilant against volcanic eruptions and landslides.

Additionally, riverbank villages contend with seasonal flooding and land subsidence, peatland and forest villages remain vulnerable to wildfires, and arid-region villages face severe droughts and clean water shortages.

"Furthermore, many villages sit atop active fault lines, where earthquakes can strike without warning," Deputy Minister Ariza noted.

He emphasized that modern village development must go beyond building roads, bridges, irrigation systems, and driving economic activity. It must equally focus on nurturing resilient communities equipped with disaster knowledge, preparedness, and a spirit of mutual cooperation (gotong royong).

When villages become resilient, Deputy Minister Ariza asserted, Indonesia as a whole grows stronger. Consequently, the Ministry continues to propel resilient village development by building community capacity, improving governance quality, adopting appropriate technology, and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration.

"We firmly believe that disaster preparedness must be an integral component of village development. No single institution can operate in isolation; the government requires active synergy with academics, the business sector, civil society organizations, the media, local communities, and the general public," Deputy Minister Ariza said.

This collaborative drive is actively promoted through the Octahelix framework, enabling every sector to contribute according to its capability, he added.

Deputy Minister Ariza invited all stakeholders to become "Friends of the Village" (Sahabat Desa)—standing by rural communities not only during times of growth, but also when facing challenges and adversity. Being a Friend of the Village means sharing knowledge, experience, technology, and resources so that rural residents become increasingly prepared to face disaster risks.

"I call upon the ICMI family, academics, professionals, philanthropists, media representatives, communities, and all elements of society to join as Friends of the Village. Let us transform villages into spaces for public service, innovation, and meaningful collaboration," Deputy Minister Ariza urged.

He reiterated that building Indonesia must start from the grassroots. When villages are secure, resilient, and advanced, Indonesia will stand stronger as it progresses toward Golden Indonesia 2045 (Indonesia Emas 2045).

Learning from other nations does not mean blindly copying their models, but rather adopting best practices adapted to Indonesia's cultural character and local needs, he added.

On the sidelines of the event, Deputy Minister Ariza inspected a social service campaign held concurrently with the public dialogue.

The social service initiative provided free ENT (THT) medical checkups for 300 participants, organized by the Women's Autonomous Body of ICMI DKI Jakarta in partnership with the ICMI DKI Jakarta Regional Board.

The activity formed part of the event series leading up to the ICMI DKI Jakarta Regional Conference (Muswil), scheduled for September 26–27, 2026.

Photo: Andri/Kemendes PDT 
Text: Firman/Kemendes PDT