Indonesia as an archipelago country and located in the fire ring is vulnerable to the natural disasters such earthquake, sea level rise and tsunami, landslide, floods and other climate disaster events. The earthquake and tsunami that occurred on 26 December 2004 in Aceh resulted in significant loss of human life, houses, local business and public facilities and the damage of settlements. The World Bank (2005) reported that more than 100,000 died, 127,000 houses were destroyed, leaving approximately 600,000 people homeless and jobless.
Natural Disaster Response
During the last decade, the climate change affected sea level rise that causing totally village lost and community settlement sink in many areas of Indonesia. Annual floods occur frequently in several areas of the upper-, middle- and lower river basin. The fatal impacts when land erosion and annual floods hit the settlement areas in both watersheds resulted in loss over 123 human-life, destroyed 14.455 houses and caused 179.659 local people homeless and jobless during last 3 years (source: BNPB, 2019).
What we do
- Our team provide emergency response when there are any natural disasters that close to our project sites
- We set-up workshops and meetings on disaster management and prevention in each project component
- We signed Agreements with Ministry of Village – Republic of Indonesia and Provincial Governments in Java and Sumatra develop Village Resilience on Climate Disaster, as a legal basis for our operations in the fields.
Participation in post-Aceh tsunami recovery
After the 2004 tsunami, we organised a mangrove planting ceremony on the coast of Banda Aceh, which was severely damaged by the tsunami. To raise the spirit and awareness of the community, we involved elephants in the mangrove planting ceremony.
The elephant attraction during the mangrove planting in the area was a highlight and created excitement in the community. Apart from being a concrete step to introduce the benefits of mangroves as tsunami barriers and amplifiers, the activity also aimed to provide entertainment for the people who were still traumatised by the earthquake and tsunami that occurred in their area.
In a joint effort to rehabilitate areas affected by the 26 December 2004 tsunami in Aceh, in collaboration with the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), we took an innovative step by mobilising a team of elephants to assist in the removal of debris following the disaster. This decision was part of an overall effort to provide humanitarian assistance and support reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the natural disaster that struck the Aceh region following the tsunami.
We showed creativity in its disaster response by mobilising its elephant team to help clear debris from the tsunami-hit coast. The elephants are specially trained to help move heavy materials and reach hard-to-reach areas. The elephants use their natural skills to help move heavy debris and access areas that are difficult for heavy machinery to reach. The use of elephants brings uniqueness to the clean-up effort, creating an environmentally friendly and effective solution.
Elephants are used to traverse terrain that is difficult to reach by regular vehicles, such as locations full of debris. Apart from carrying logistical assistance, elephants also help in the evacuation and debris clearing process at the disaster site. Elephants are considered effective because of their strength and resilience in traversing heavy terrain.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world in 2019, Yagasu also showed its concern by providing assistance to our foster group members. In an effort to help people cope with the impact of the pandemic, we distributed basic necessities and vitamins to our fostered groups.
This assistance aims to ease the economic burden of the affected communities and maintain their health amid the threat of widespread transmission of the virus. Basic foodstuffs such as rice, oil and other basic necessities are prioritised, while the provision of vitamins and is a preventive measure to increase the immune system to avoid transmission of covid 19.
Yagasu not only focuses on environmental preservation and economic improvement, but is also actively involved in safeguarding the health of our communities during the difficult times of the pandemic. Through this donation, we hope to provide moral and material support for our group members, and encourage them to stay strong in the face of a challenging global situation.
Natural disaster relief
We also show our commitment to be quick and responsive in helping natural disasters that hit in the area where our fostered groups live. Several natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslides Yagasu went directly to the assisted villages in addition to providing foodstuffs and encouraging the assisted groups to remain strong in the face of disasters that occurred to them.
The assistance provided in addition to basic necessities also provides technical support to repair mangrove ecosystems or Agroforestry sites damaged by floods and landslides. In providing natural disaster relief we focus on community groups that partner with Yagasu in mangrove and agroforestry programmes. We also strengthen the capacity of the fostered groups to deal with future disasters.
Floods in Aceh province
The coastal areas of Aceh are densely populated, both on the east and west coasts. This geographical location also makes Aceh one of the areas prone to flooding. In addition to damaging infrastructure and costing lives and property, flooding in Aceh also threatens food security and the welfare of communities that rely heavily on natural resources.
Cianjur earthquake, West Java
The earthquake in Cianjur on Monday, 21 November 2022 with a magnitude of 5.6 had a devastating impact, leaving hundreds of people dead and thousands of buildings destroyed. Cianjur was one of the worst affected areas in West Java by the earthquake in 2022.
In the Agroforestry Programme in Cianjur district Yagasu has a partner farmer group ‘Tampos Sejahtera’ located in Cugenang sub-district, West Java where the village is one of the villages affected by the natural disaster of the earthquake.
Floods and landslides in West Sumatra
In May 2024, West Sumatra experienced severe flash floods, triggered by heavy rainfall that caused rivers to overflow in several areas. The disaster hit areas such as Agam Regency, Tanah Datar, Padang Pariaman, Padang City and Padang Panjang. The floods washed away volcanic materials causing serious damage to settlements and infrastructure. 43 people died, with several others still missing, and thousands of families were affected. Yagasu was also involved in providing assistance to mangrove groups affected by the floods in West Sumatra because the areas hit by flash floods also affected the coastal areas of West Sumatra and entered the villages assisted by Yagasu.
