NGOs form disaster network

PADANG, West Sumatra (Jakarta Post): Twenty-five non-governmental organizations in West Sumatra have established a joint communications network aimed at coordinating disaster mitigation efforts across the province.

The network is officially called "Palanta Siaga Bencana".

"Prior to the establishment of this network, we always found difficulty in coordinating our programs. Consequently, we couldn't synergize our programs to provide the maximum benefits for the target communities," Tsunami Alert Community (Kogami) director Patra Rina Dewi said Sunday.

The establishment of Palanta was agreed upon during the a workshop on integration for disaster preparedness last week in Bukittinggi. Kogami co-organized the event with UNESCO.

"Palanta plans to organize a number of joint programs, including training, publication and the setting up a demographic database," she said. -- JP