Community Radio Movement in the Promotion of Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia

In Indonesia and Japan, where there are many natural disasters, community radio has played an important role as a “hub” for local information during times of disaster and recovery and reconstruction. In Indonesia, a community radio station will be established in the affected area under the leadership of the Community Radio Association, with civil society taking the lead. On the other, in Japan, in the event of a major disaster, local governments in the disaster-stricken areas set up temporary disaster broadcasting stations with the support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and neighboring community radio stations hand. Both forms have advantages and disadvantages. In particular, in the case of Japan, there is little initiative from residents, and in the case of Indonesia, there is little involvement from the government. The Japan–Indonesia Joint program has been deployed in Indonesia since 2017. The aim of this project is to enhance the functions of community radio, a public–private partnership to enhance the community-based disaster risk reduction capabilities. The model is a public–private partnership in Wakayama, where the risk of a Nankai Trough Megathrust Earthquake is high. The community radio sectors in both countries continue to localize this model to several areas in Indonesia such as Boyolali, the location of Merapi Volcano, in Indonesia. This chapter focuses on the installment of the Wakayama model to Boyolali, this paper examines a mechanism in which community radio is established with community initiative in the event of a disaster, and its activities can be continued until the period of recovery and reconstruction in cooperation with the government.