ACEH TENGAH, May 2026 — Half a year after Tropical Cyclone Senyar triggered catastrophic floods and landslides across Aceh, the Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC) of Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK) remains active on the ground. Working as part of the USK Task Force for Senyar Aceh Response (Satgas USK), a TDMRC field team has installed clean water filter systems in two affected villages in Kabupaten Aceh Tengah: Desa Waq Toweren and Desa Toweren Toa. The initiative is funded entirely by donations collected through Rumah Amal USK, the university’s official philanthropic arm.
When Cyclone Senyar struck in late November 2025, the highlands of Aceh Tengah were among the hardest-hit areas. Floodwaters and debris buried communal wells, damaged water supply networks, and cut off villages from basic sanitation infrastructure. While the emergency phase has long passed from public attention, many communities are still without reliable access to clean water months later.
Access to clean water is not a temporary need, it is a fundamental health and livelihood issue that determines whether recovery is genuine or merely cosmetic. This is precisely the gap that TDMRC and Rumah Amal USK set out to address through the deployment of FRP water filter units: a proven, low-maintenance technology that converts turbid well water and surface water into safe, usable water for the long term.
Two Villages, Two Communities, One Commitment
The clean water filter systems were installed in two villages in Kabupaten Aceh Tengah:
Desa Waq Toweren (Village Head: Abdul Habir) — This village has been a focal point of USK’s sustained engagement in Aceh Tengah. Earlier this year, Satgas USK and Rumah Amal delivered 165 Ramadhan preparation packages to its residents. USK students completing their Disaster-Themed Community Service Programme (KKN Tematik Kebencanaan) also carried out educational and community resilience activities in the village. The installation of a water filter system marks another chapter in this ongoing relationship.
The USK Task Force team installs a clean water filtration system in Waq Toweren Village
Desa Toweren Toa (Village Head: Ali Hasimi) — Neighbouring Toweren Toa experienced similar impacts from the disaster, with residents facing persistent difficulties accessing safe water for drinking and daily use. The filter unit installed here is designed to serve the broader village community sustainably.
The USK Task Force team installs a clean water filtration system in Toa Toweren Village
From Field Installation to Official Handover
The project was carried out in two coordinated phases. In the first phase, a TDMRC field team — the same team that has consistently led technical response activities under Satgas USK and was deployed to both villages to assess site conditions, complete the installation of the filter systems, and ensure full operational functionality before the official launch.
The Head of the USK Task Force, who also serves as Director of TDMRC, inaugurates the donated clean water filtration system in Waq Toweren Village
The Head of the USK Task Force, who also serves as Director of TDMRC, inaugurates the donated clean water filtration system in Toweren Toa Village
In the second phase, Prof. Syamsidik, Head of the USK Task Force for Senyar Aceh Response and Director of TDMRC, joined the team on-site to officially inaugurate the filter systems. His presence was a deliberate signal: that TDMRC’s engagement with disaster-affected communities extends well beyond the emergency phase, grounded in the centre’s long-standing mission of translating research into community resilience.
“We hope this assistance will provide lasting benefit to the community. USK will continue to be present and contribute meaningfully — through both humanitarian aid and community service activities — because true recovery from disaster requires sustained presence, not just a one-time response.”
— Prof. Syamsidik, Head of USK Task Force for Senyar Aceh Response & Director, TDMRC USK
This intervention was made possible by public donations channelled through Rumah Amal USK. Since the onset of the Senyar disaster, Rumah Amal USK has received more than IDR 3.17 billion in public contributions, all of which are distributed transparently across various recovery programmes spanning nine districts and cities in Aceh. The deployment of clean water filters in Aceh Tengah is one direct expression of that public trust.
