Group Photo Session in Zoom Panel
Banda Aceh – In commemoration of the 17th anniversary of the establishment of the disaster research center of Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK), UPT. Mitigasi Bencana – Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC) and at the same time, in commemoration of Tsunami Awareness Day, which fell on November 5, TDMRC held a webinar themed Long-Term Disaster Recovery Processes’ Lessons Learned from Disaster Affected Area, on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. This webinar presents disaster experts from leading universities in the world as panellists, including Prof. Emily So from the University of Cambridge UK, Prof. Anawat Suppasri from IRIDeS of Tohoku University Japan, Prof. Alison Raby from the University of Plymouth UK and Dr Rina Suryani Oktari from USK.
“TDMRC is a research institute established on October 30, 2006. The inspiration for the establishment of this research center was originally due to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and on October 30, 2023, TDMRC turned 17 years old, which means that TDMRC has been active and consistent in overseeing various research and becoming an institution that is concerned in research and disaster risk reduction efforts. So to commemorate 17 years of TDMRC’s work in the world of disaster research, today we held a webinar discussing learning about long-term recovery from major disasters, “explained TDMRC Director, Prof. Dr. Syamsidik., S.T., M.Sc.
Prof. Agussapti in Opening Remarks
The webinar, which took place starting at 14.30, was opened by the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of USK, Prof. Dr. Ir. Agussabti, M.Si. In his speech, he stated, “The 2004 tsunami has been etched in the memory of our nation and in response to this tragedy, USK established the Center for Tsunami Research and Disaster Mitigation in 2006. For the past 17 years, TDMRC has been at the forefront of disaster research, not only as a hope for Aceh, Indonesia but also as a role model of innovation and learning for the global community. The presence of TDMRC has turned painful lessons from the tsunami into knowledge. TDMRC’s mission is clear: safeguarding the future through the delivery of knowledge, and enhancing resilience.”
The webinar, which was attended by nearly 200 participants from all over Indonesia and from abroad, was divided into two panel sessions, where the first panel session was moderated by Adrian Ulza, S.T., M.Sc. The initial presentation for the first session was filled by Assoc. Prof. Annawat who discussed complete about tsunami mitigation in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. While the second panelist for this session was filled by Dr. Rina Suryani Oktari, a disaster expert from USK, in her presentation she invited participants to see flashbacks of the 2004 tsunami recovery process starting from the initial recovery process, recovery in 10 years after the tsunami, 15 years to 20 years after the 2004 tsunami.
The second panel session in this webinar started at 16.10, which was opened by moderator Rizanna Rosemary Ph.D. The first panelist for the second session was an earthquake expert from the University of Cambridge, Prof. Emily So, in her presentation she explained important lessons from earthquake disasters, from mitigation to the post-earthquake disaster recovery process.
The second speaker for the second session, Prof. Alison from the University of Plymouth, gave an equally interesting presentation related to how 3 countries with a history of experiencing major disasters mitigate in dealing with disasters. In this case Prof. Alison compares between Indonesia, Thailand and Japan. Prof. Alison explained in full starting from community readiness efforts to infrastructure resilience in the 3 countries.
This webinar activity also played birthday greeting videos from TDMRC colleagues and partners. Welcome greetings from the University of Cambridge, Griffith University, Tohoku University, BNPB, BMKG, from other local, national and international partners.
In addition, TDMRC also received congratulations from the Rector of USK. Through a 40-second speech video, the Rector of USK expressed his hopes for TDMRC which has been the best research center owned by USK. “Seventeen years is a mature age for TDMRC to become a center of excellence in disaster and tsunami mitigation studies in the Indian Ocean region, hopefully TDMRC can continue to produce innovative and inspiring work for disaster risk reduction at the local, national and global levels”.
In the same video, the Head of BNPB Disaster Data and Information Center, Abdul Muhari, Ph.D, also expressed his words and hopes to TDMRC to continue to succeed, contribute and work better for disaster science and disaster management in Indonesia.
This webinar was closed with closing remarks by the Director of TDMRC, Prof. Dr. Syamsidik. S.T., M.Sc. he emphasized that TDMRC opens great opportunities for partners and partners from anywhere and from various disciplines to jointly innovate and conduct disaster research in the context of disaster risk reduction. On this occasion, Prof. Syamsidik also thanked all partners who had congratulated TDMRC.
Photo after the webinar
TDMRC member in a Group Photo Session
