Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital (Wamenkomdigi) Nezar Patria assessed that volunteers have a strategic role as a source of information regarding field conditions in disaster management, especially in isolated areas.
Nezar said the Ministry of Communication and Digital has implemented an ecosystem-based approach from the outset, involving volunteers and communities as government partners in disaster situations.
"I think their input is very important for the government because they (volunteers) are on the ground, going to areas that may not have been reached, or even reported on, or even visited by the media, and that's reported by our fellow volunteers," Nezar said at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs office.
According to him, reports from volunteers help the government obtain a more timely, valid, and reliable picture of the real conditions on the ground. This information serves as the basis for formulating more targeted disaster management policies and solutions.
"This way, we can obtain more valid and reliable information about conditions on the ground, and this will make policymaking within government institutions more informed and able to develop solutions," he said.
He emphasized that the government and the community are the ideal collaboration in dealing with emergency disaster situations.
