REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PADANG -- Padang, W Sumatra, March 26 (Antara) - The Government of Padang, West Sumatra, followed up on the signing of a cooperation agreement on disaster mitigation with the Wellington city government in New Zealand. The cooperation was related to disaster identification, threats, and information as well as community participation in the reduction of disaster risks.

"We have forged some cooperation, such as for the implementation of the tsunami-safe zone at 20 locations in Padang," Head of the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency Edi Hasjmi noted here on Monday.

Padang and the capital city of New Zealand have similarities in terms of disaster threats.

For instance, both cities have the same topography and located in disaster-prone areas on the edge of the Indian Ocean.

Moreover, Padang and Wellington are likely to be affected by tsunami and frequent floods and experience landslides.

Wellington's success in disaster mitigation will be adopted by Padang as a precautionary measure, such as evaluating the land in Padang that is considered to be prone to landslides.

Besides this, Padang will also adopt an integrated system that has been implemented in Wellington.

"The follow-up will also involve field studies and the provision of disaster training and seminars," he revealed.

Hasjmi further remarked that in Padang, his team had last year launched a school to equip families to mitigate disasters.

The school continues to spread awareness and aims to increase understanding and knowledge of disaster preparedness among students and teachers.

The students and teachers are expected to serve as ambassadors for the people in conducting disaster mitigation.

Meanwhile, the families will focus more on strengthening understanding and critical thinking to take precautionary disaster handling measures.

Awareness of this program continues to be spread among the people residing in the red zone or prone to disasters, such as Bungus Village or Purus.

Some 500 thousand of the total of more than one million people in Padang live in the red zone.

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