Governing systemic and cascading disaster risk in Indonesia: where do we stand and future outlook

There is growing awareness and recognition of the importance of systemic and cascading risks in disaster risk studies. However, there are still gaps between research, policy and practice. The current progress of disaster risk governance is not sufficient to achieve the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030) unless there is an effective governing system in place at the local level that allow actors and institutions to simultaneously manage the interplays of multi-hazards, multi-temporal, multi-dimensions of vulnerabilities and residual risks. This paper aims to identify key factors for a contextualised Systemic Risk Governance (SRG) framework and subsequently explore how systemic risks and their interaction with residual risks and other existing problems can be managed and how local institutional mechanisms can be tweaked to deal with the complex risk landscape in an Indonesian context. Using a case study from Palu triple-disasters in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, we demonstrate how inland earthquakes in 2018 created cascading secondary hazards, namely tsunamis, liquefaction and landslides, caused unprecedented disasters for the communities and the nation. A qualitative analysis was conducted using the data collected through a long-term observation since 2002. We argue that Indonesia has yet to incorporate an SRG approach in its responses to the Palu triple-disasters. Political will is required to adopt more appropriate risk governance modes that promote the systemic risk paradigm. Change needs to occur incrementally through hybrid governance arrangements ranging from formal/informal methods to self- and horizontal and vertical modes of governance deemed more realistic and feasible. We recommend that this be done by focusing on productive transition and local transformation