Decentralizing disaster management in Indonesia through disaster resilient villages (destana) program: A structuration analysis

Abstract

This article examines how social agents—particularly local disaster management institution, disaster facilitators, village leader, and local volunteers—have influenced the shift toward a decentralized disaster management system in Indonesia. Drawing on Giddens’ theory of structuration, the article explores the interplay between agency and structure in the transformation of disaster governance. It focuses on how actors navigate institutional constraints, mobilize resources, and enact change in regulatory frameworks. This study uses a single case study method where Mount Sinabung was selected due to the prolonged eruption conditions in the area. The findings highlight the duality of structure, where disaster management reform is not solely driven by top-down policy but also by grassroots-level action and communicative practices that reproduce or transform systemic arrangements.