Govt Urged to Tighten Earthquake Building Regulations

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Institution of Engineers Indonesia (PII) is urging the government to tighten regulations and oversight of earthquake‑resistant building construction following the recent earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The measure is considered crucial to reducing casualties caused by building collapses during earthquakes.

PII Chairman Ilham Akbar Habibie said engineers should assist the public and local administrations in applying earthquake‑resistant building design standards.

“The Institution of Engineers Indonesia encourages engineers to provide professional assistance to residents and local administrations in implementing earthquake‑resistant building design systems, thereby reducing risks associated with building collapses during earthquakes,” Ilham said in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, as cited by Antara.

Head of PII’s Disaster and Preparedness Division, Wayan Sengara, said the NTT earthquake should serve as an evaluation point for strengthening building and infrastructure resilience. He noted that building damage is often a leading cause of injuries and fatalities during earthquakes.

PII is advocating stronger earthquake engineering research, the construction of earthquake‑resistant infrastructure, and periodic updates to seismic hazard maps and building standards. Dissemination of these standards must also be expanded to local administrations, the public, and construction industry professionals.

Permit controls and construction oversight must likewise be tightened to ensure all buildings meet safety requirements.

“We need to revisit how earthquake disaster mitigation science and technology can be rapidly adopted and applied through capacity building across all relevant aspects,” Ilham said.

A 7.7‑magnitude earthquake struck NTT on August 15, 2026. PII believes post‑earthquake recovery efforts must include a comprehensive evaluation of building standards and construction oversight systems to ensure safer and more resilient development in earthquake‑prone regions. ***