The Final Workshop of LEAP Project is the final stage of the LEAP project, which has been running since 2022, held on April 29, 2024. LEAP stands for Locally-Ied Inclusive Disaster Response and Preparedness which is funded by the Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) and covers a wide range of disaster risk reduction and disaster response initiatives in Indonesia.

The goal of the LEAP project is to improve the quality of disaster response and disaster resilience in an inclusive and locally-led manner. In two year period of assisting the communities in the Special Region of Yogyakarta Province, LEAP project has reached 1676 people in 10 villages across 5 cities/regencies, namely Seloharjo, Canden, Pakembinangun, Hargobinangun, Klitren, Prawirodirjan, Purwosari, Banaran, Hargobinangun, Pakembinangun, Girikarto, and Kedungpoh. This activity also reached 780 people with disabilities and older people. The support provided was capacity building and assistance to Disaster Risk Reduction Forum (DRR Forum)  in each of these locations.

Disaster Risk Reduction initiative  starts from the grassroots

(DRR Forum of Kalurahan Purwosari shared experiences while participating in YEU activities)

Through the LEAP Project, YEU (YAKKUM Emergency Unit) seeks to reduce disaster risk from the smallest administrative level, such as villages. The advocacy for disaster risk reduction at the village is carried out to influence policy and funding at the village government level. Currently, DRR Forum at village level already has a Decree issued by the BPBD (Regional Disaster Management Agency). Through the establishment and re-activation of the DRR Forum, there will be a special team at the village level that has the capacity to reduce the risk of disasters due to vulnerabilities in their respective areas. Efforts to reduce community vulnerability in the face of existing hazards are carried out through a series of training, such as Shelter  Management, Risk Assessment, Gender Analysis, Data Collection and Rapid Assessment, and First Aid Training for non-medical personnel.

LEAP project encourages church networking in order to strengthen capacity through direct support to church volunteers, where 225 volunteers from 79 churches spread across Yogyakarta and Central Java as well as several other areas on Java island participated in similar series of training. They were given the opportunity to do networking with each other through the Church Volunteer Jamboree and the YEU Volunteer Gathering. Church volunteers are members of Christian Community Network for Disaster Management in Indonesia (Jakomkris PBI) which provides specific support in terms of emergency response coordination. This was evident in the emergency response during the floods in Central Java, where the church volunteer network helped in the emergency response. 

Resilience action as a  Locally-led initiative to reduce the impacts of disasters

(David Pattinama as LEAP Project Manager presented the achievements and activities that have been carried out)

YEU provides support for DRR Forums in villages and sub-districts to implement their resilience action plans in the form of grants. Community resilience actions were carried out in the form of collective efforts, such as goat farming, catfish farming, waste banks, and affordable food supplies. By developing these collective efforts, it is expected that there will be sustainable funding for disaster risk reduction initiatives in each region. The resilience fund is given based on the proposals that have been submitted by each group, including the analysis of their business. Thus, they have organized plans for future business development and can be accounted for.

Support from BPBD in Yogyakarta for a more resilient DRR Forum

At the end of the workshop session, there was a presentation from the Agency  Executive of BPBD in Yogyakarta, Drs. Noviar Rahmad, M.Si regarding the support provided by BPBD to. In his presentation, he explained the hazards in the area and updated the information on disaster events in Yogyakarta. He also conveyed that in 2023 there were 1418 disaster events in Yogyakarta, including hydrometeorological disasters such as droughts, floods, and strong winds. BPBD at the provincial and regency levels have a commitment to involve volunteers and DRR Forum.

This is positive support from BPBD in Yogyakarta to all DRR Forum members and an effort to develop government regulations related to DRR Forum at the village level in Yogyakarta. The existing regional regulations are still targeting up to the sub-district level, but in the future BPBD DIY will support the existence of the regulation that regulates DRR Forum at the village level. This is done as an effort to ensure the commitment to the availability of disaster preparedness budget at the village level.