Jakarta (ANTARA News) - As many as 16 people joined a tsunami preparedness training program from June 21 through 25, 2011 held by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in Bogor, West Java, the program`s spokesman said.

The Community Preparedness coordinator Iriana Rafliana said here on Friday, the results of a study showed that public awareness of disaster risk mitigating of earthquakes which trigger tsunami still need to be improved.

"There are some issues causing the matter, such as the low level of people`s understanding of the risk and disaster preparedness and inadequate availability of data and information, such as maps of areas prone to natural disasters and their studies," he said.

Rafliana also said the steps needed to be done is to provide a thorough understanding to the regions of how to tackle the tsunami risk assessments and provide alternative measures that can be implemented as a risk reduction effort.

The tsunami preparedness training was conducted in cooperation with the national disaster management agency or BNPB featuring

several resources like geologists concerning earthquake and tsunami, a geographic information system (GIS)), preparedness assessment expert, including the regional security expert.

Recently, IDB president Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali Madani observed some construction projects in Banda Aceh municipality and Aceh Besar district in Aceh province after tsunami hit Aceh on December 26, 2004.

The IDB president on the occasion visited the construction of the Al Makkah Al-Mukarramah Islamic Solidarity School in Lamnyong, two clinics in Aceh Besar district Lhoong and Alue Naga.

According to him, IDB has contributed financial aids totaling US$420 million for the reconstruction projects.
(T.D009/B003/HAJM/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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