Vice Mayor of Palu City Inaugurated Disaster Emergency Equipment Warehouse and Disaster Prevention Drill Held in Palu City ～JICA Partnership Program (JPP) Project to Improve Local Disaster Preparedness by Japan Overseas Cooperative Association (JOCA) Tohoku ～

Palu, Indonesia - On February 01, 2025, Vice Mayor of Palu City Inaugurated Disaster Emergency Equipment Warehouse at the Huntap (permanent residence) Tondo 1 village, Palu City, which is part of JICA Partnership Program (JPP) project by Japan Overseas Cooperative Association (JOCA) Tohoku together with Palu City government. And the following day, February 2, disaster prevention drill activity was also held in the same district.

The project titled “Formulation of a Resilient Reconstructed Community at Group Relocated Area in Palu City” aims primarily to support the collective relocation project for victims of the September 2018 Sulawesi earthquake, which is being undertaken as part of the reconstruction project. Specifically, the project intends to strengthen community resilience by supporting neighbourhood relationship and establishing a community disaster risk reduction group called PRB Simpotove Tangguh. In collaboration with the Palu City government, we are implementing disaster prevention programs, preparing video manuals, and training community leaders.

In a JICA interview, project manager of JOCA, Hoshi Eiji emphasized that JOCA supporting disaster risk education (DRR) activities by equipping the warehouse with essential emergency supplies and creating video manuals to ensure community can continue learning after the project ends.

At the February 1 handover ceremony, Vice Mayor of Palu City Dr. Reny A. Lamadidjo, who attended the ceremony, delivered a speech and the signing of handover minutes by the parties involved. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was also held in front of the warehouse of disaster equipment to be handed over.

Vice Mayor Dr. Reny A. Lamadidjo highlighted the importance of disaster emergency equipment warehouse, “the equipment in this warehouse, including mats, beds, generators, and other emergency supplies, will be invaluable for our community,” she said. “This will particularly benefit our disaster risk reduction team especially for PRB Simpotove Tangguh who have received training in this area. In the future, this equipment will be very useful in the event of a disaster or when conduct further training so that the people of Palu City can be more prepared in implementing disaster risk reduction (DRR) program”.

The following day, February 2, the evacuation drill for local residents was also held. The PRB Simpotove Tangguh, a disaster prevention organization, led a voluntary evacuation drill in Huntap Tondo, which was participated by approximately 200 residents in the Huntap Tondo 1. Many residents, including children, seriously engaged in evacuation and rescue activities under the assumption that an earthquake had occurred. The drill provided a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of disaster prevention and to develop human resources for disaster prevention organizations.

Mursidin, the leader of Huntap Tondo 1, emphasized the evacuation drill’s importance in teaching community members the proper steps to take during emergencies. And, Madjid, the PRB Simpotove Tangguh leader, expressed his gratitude to JICA and JOCA for initiating the evacuation drill. “I extend my highest appreciation to JICA and JOCA for this evacuation drill. This training is crucial for our people,” he said. “When a disaster occurs, they will be able to apply what they have learned during these practice sessions.”

Local resident, Ira shared her experience as a participant: “This was our first evacuation drill. As someone with limited knowledge of disaster preparedness, we learned valuable skills in disaster mitigation. Through this drill, we understood the crucial steps to take, such as identifying evacuation points and the importance of cooperation within community.”

The project, which began in September 2022, is scheduled for completion in August 2025. According to Regional Secretary of Palu City government, Irmayanti hopes that the training, evacuation drills, community building efforts, and insights provided by JICA and JOCA will continue to benefit all Palu City people well into the future. JICA will continue to work on this project in cooperation with JOCA to meet the expectations of the local community and to enable the community of Palu City to continue to build a disaster-resilient community even after the project ends.