Group Photo Session
Meulaboh, July 16, 2024 – To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the tsunami that hit Aceh in 2004, TDMRC (Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center) in collaboration with Bappeda Aceh Barat, BPBD Aceh Barat and Teuku Umar University held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) related to “Study of 20 Years of Aceh Tsunami in West Aceh”. This activity was held at the Iskandar Muda Hall of Teuku Umar University and was attended by various stakeholders, including academics, practitioners and the general public. The FGD, opened by UTU Rector Prof. Dr. Ishak, M.Si, was held on July 16, 2024, and took the theme of post-tsunami recovery and future strategies in dealing with disasters.
The activity, which more than 40 participants attended, began with remarks from the chairman of the committee Aulia Khalqillah, S.Si, M.Si, followed by remarks as well as the opening by the Rector of Teuku Umar University (UTU), Prof. Dr. Ishak, M.Si., then continued with a presentation by the Head of the West Aceh Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) regarding opportunities and challenges in disaster management in West Aceh Regency delivered by the West Aceh Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).
During the discussion session, participants were divided into small groups to discuss aspects such as Infrastructure, Preparedness, Livelihood, and Psychosocial. Each group was guided by facilitators from TDMRC, the Infrastructure group was guided by Aulia Khalqillah, S.Si, M.Si and Daffa Alfarizi, ST., MT, Preparedness was guided by Ismiatul Ramadhian Nur, ST.., M.Si and Muhammad Arifin, S.Kom., M.Si, Livelihood by Cut Aprilia, S.E., M. Interbuss and Sophia Imari, S.E., M.M, as well as Psychosocial by Siti Ghaisani Masturah, S.Psi., MKM and Nada Nafira Almanzani, S.IP., S.Pd. Active participation from all participants resulted in various constructive ideas and recommendations. In addition to conducting FGDs, the researchers also visited villages affected by the tsunami 20 years ago, such as Gampong Pasir and Gampong Suak Indrapuri, to gather information about these villages’ condition after 20 years.
The activity, which was a series of commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the tsunami carried out by TDMRC, produced a variety of interesting information because the participants who attended were representatives of relevant agencies and were quite familiar with the recovery process and conditions of Aceh Bara after the 20-year tsunami. For example, the Infrastructure aspect discussed the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by the tsunami. Various development projects that have been carried out over the past two decades were evaluated to improve the quality of infrastructure and reduce vulnerability to future disasters. The PUPR office, development consultants from various companies and even the local Geuchik were the resource persons in gathering information about infrastructure. Similarly, for other aspects, representatives of the education office, health office, women’s empowerment, regional finance, lecturers, and the general public became resource persons to explore psychosocial, livelihood and preparedness facts.
Focus Group Discussion
In a separate interview, Prof. Syamsidik, as director of TDMRC USK, said, “This FGD is expected to provide insights and policy recommendations to improve community preparedness and recovery from disasters more quickly, especially for learning to recover from major disasters such as those that occurred 20 years ago. Cooperation between research institutions, local governments, and universities is expected to produce innovative and sustainable solutions to reducing disaster risks in the future. We would also like to thank UTU, BPBD Aceh Barat and Bappeda Aceh Barat for their cooperation and assistance in making this study a success.”
TDMRC is currently preparing for the 20th anniversary of the Aceh tsunami; the whole series of activities can be accessed at https://tdmrc.usk.ac.id/20th-years-aceh-tsunami
