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Once again Indonesia has been hit by a natural disaster and once again the people of Indonesia must show courage and resolve to bounce back and continue with their lives.

So far more than 1,000 lives have been lost in Padang while thousands of others are still feared to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. There are no estimates of damages yet, but the price tag is likely to be enormous.

True, natural disasters such as this can never be predicted, but, as a nation sitting on one of the world’s most active geological regions, we should be able to prepare to deal with the whims of nature.

As the 2004 tsunami that devastated Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra has shown, speed and good organization is the essence in providing relief and saving lives. Aid is already pouring in from across the world. We hope that the aid will be able to reach victims in time to ease their pain. Emergency response services will be tested to the full, as will the government’s ability to deal with the latest disaster.

With natural calamities very much part of life in this tropical archipelago, it is surprising that the government does not have a dedicated ministry to deal with them. So far, everything has been handled on an ad hoc basis. To be able to prepare well for disasters that strike the nation in any corner of the country, there should be a single government authority at the ready, able to immediately dispatch personnel, equipment and relief at the shortest notice — without having to wait for endless meetings between government institutions and officials.

With a new government about to take power, we have high hopes that it will finally consider setting up a dedicated ministry to manage disaster mitigation and relief.

Wednesday’s quake has also given rise to other questions. That so many buildings there collapsed is worrisome. It is clear that building codes must be more strictly reviewed or enforced so that in the future fewer lives will be lost and less damage inflicted on property. Have we not yet learned from the regular episodes of death and destruction in the past few years? We all know we are living in a geologically unstable region, prone to volcanic eruption, earthquakes and killer waves.

It is the government’s duty to ensure that buildings are built to withstand if not minimize the damage from such natural phenomena.

It is a near certainty that this will not be the last earthquake to hit the country. Our prayers are with those who have lost relatives and friends as well as their homes. We hope that the people and government will come together to help those affected rebuild their lives — and to assure us all that everything is being done to minimize the impact of future disasters on the nation.