Reporter: Mely Anggrini, ME’22
Editor: Muhaji Sahnita Putri, ME’19
BANDUNG, meteo.itb.ac.id – A total of 29 students from the Meteorology study program at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) organized an educational activity on hydrometeorological disasters for the students of SMA Negeri 1 Majalaya. The event was held on Saturday (July 30, 2023) in Solokanjeruk, Bandung Regency.
This hydrometeorological disaster education activity was a work program of the Public Relation of Community Service (PRCS) division under the “Zephyrus” Semi-Autonomous Body (BSO) of ITB’s Meteorology Student Association (HMME) “Atmosphaira”. The educational event for SMA Negeri 1 Majalaya students carried the theme “Disaster Response – Education on Hydrometeorological Disasters.” The concept used for this activity was “post-to-post,” where each station contained various educational materials regarding hydrometeorological disasters delivered in an engaging and practical manner. There were five stations: Majalaya Characteristics, Simple Rain Gauge Construction, Weather Monitoring, Early Warning, and Disaster Management.
The materials were presented by ITB Meteorology students and local community disaster groups from Majalaya that participated in the event. These communities included Garda Caah, Jaga Balai, and Siaga Warga Majalaya.
“The delivery system for the materials was left up to each station. For example, at the Weather Monitoring station, explanations were given regarding the Automatic Weather Station (AWS). At the Simple Rain Gauge station, an explanation was given about what a rain gauge is, its function, and students were taught how to build a simple one using used bottles. At the Majalaya Characteristics station, we printed topographical maps and maps of the Majalaya Watershed, which were then explained by us, the students, assisted by the community from Majalaya,” said Ahrish, a member of the BSO.
Preparation for this hydrometeorological disaster education activity began in August 2023. The number of participants from SMA Negeri 1 Majalaya was quite large, consisting of 90 students representing grades 10-12, as well as members of the Youth Scientific Group (KIR) extracurricular club.
“The interesting thing during the activity was the students’ enthusiasm in receiving the material, they were all smart and active in asking questions,” said Erin, a member of the PRCS BSO division.
Ahrish and Suci hope that this activity can be beneficial for the students of SMA Negeri 1 Majalaya and young people in Indonesia. They advised the youth to be more aware of the impacts of disasters occurring in their surroundings.
“Not all high school graduates go straight to college; surely some will work, especially in their own regions like Majalaya. Moreover, Majalaya is located in the Bandung basin and is prone to flooding, so at least they already have general knowledge about their own area. They were also taught about flood disaster mitigation so they wouldn’t be completely uninformed about it. Even though their parents might already know, since they are now young adults, it is hoped that they can take initiative themselves and assist the local Majalaya community groups that typically conduct mitigation for the general public,” said Ahrish.