The Role of Institutional Vulnerability in the Adoption of ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) at Local Level

Abstract

International agreements on disaster risk reduction (DRR) are a significant reference for disaster-prone countries to ameliorate their DRR programmes with the main objective of creating a disaster resilient community. On the one hand, from the series of international agreements on DRR implemented by the Government of Indonesia, which is one of the world's most disaster-prone countries, the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) made a significant contribution on DRR efforts in the country. On the other hand, since the effects of disaster are quite localised, local government is the first responder during catastrophic events. This research investigates the institutional vulnerability aspects faced by local governments in Indonesia regarding the implementation process of AADMER. It addresses two central questions: (1) What are the challenges of the implementation of international agreement on DRR at the local level in Indonesia? and (2) What are the institutional vulnerability aspects faced by local governments in Indonesia to implement AADMER? The finding shows that despite Indonesia's national government perceiving AADMER as one of the principal references for the country's DRR programmes, when it comes into implementation at the local level, there is a lack of commitment due to institutional capability issues. The result suggests that institutional capacity, law domestication and the role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) affect the institutional vulnerability aspects of the local government to meet the DRR programme initiated by AADMER.