Oleh : Lutfiah Nur Rohmah Salaamah
Translator : Aisyah Nurdiva Dewary Priatna
Wednesday, December 11th 2024
BANDUNG, meteo.itb.ac.id – A team of Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) students known as “Team Aquasustain” demonstrated their excellence by securing second place in the National Scientific Paper Competition at EXPO UPI 2024. The team comprises Mely Anggrini (Meteorology, Class of 2022), Rizma Dwinanda Prawira (Meteorology, Class of 2022), and Anjani Athaya (Oceanography, Class of 2022). Held online via Zoom on Saturday, November 23, 2024, the competition—themed “Water Resource Management and Conservation”—served as a platform for students to showcase their creativity and competence in addressing global challenges.
Organized by Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), this annual event aims to hone student innovation through scientific writing. Participants were tasked with developing ideas based on the designated theme, focusing on providing solutions to relevant issues. Team Aquasustain viewed the competition as an opportunity to apply classroom theories to real-world case studies, particularly regarding water resource management in Indonesia.
Consequently, the team developed an innovative prototype designed to treat greywater and rainwater for reuse in non-potable applications. A key feature of the prototype is its use of “constructed wetlands” technology, which employs specific plants to assist in the water purification process.
“We wanted to create a solution that supports sustainability through greywater management and rainwater utilization,” explained Anjani.
The competition process began with drafting an abstract, which served as the gateway to the initial selection round. Once the abstract was accepted, the team proceeded to write a full paper under the guidance of Dr. Rusmawan Suwarman, S.Si., M.T., a meteorology lecturer specializing in hydrometeorology. After successfully passing the preliminary stage, Team Aquasustain moved on to prepare for the final round, focusing on practicing their presentation and anticipating potential questions from the panel of judges.
“The brainstorming process to determine the initial idea was the most challenging part. However, through effective teamwork and the assistance of our faculty advisor, we were able to develop the concept into a winning project,” said Mely.
Their success hinged not only on the strength of their idea but also on their ability to present it in a compelling and convincing manner. Furthermore, a harmonious and supportive team dynamic played a crucial role.
In closing, Rizma emphasized the importance of taking that first step without the fear of failure or hesitation to try. Meanwhile, the team members hope their experience will inspire other students to explore their potential and contribute to solving real-world challenges in their communities.
“The key to achieving something great is having the courage to step out of your comfort zone and try new things,” Rizma advised.