BNPB Tests Functionality of Five Early Flood Warning Sensors in Banda Aceh

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) utilised the peak of Disaster Preparedness Day (HKB) 2026 to test the functionality and effectiveness of five sensors in the flood early warning system (Early Warning System/EWS) installed along several rivers in Banda Aceh City.

BNPB Head, Suharyanto, in his statement in Jakarta on Monday, said that the testing of this technology aims to ensure the equipment functions optimally and can provide accurate danger signals to the public.

Suharyanto explained that the EWS technology provided by BNPB works by detecting real-time increases in river water discharge; when the water level reaches the alert threshold, the sensor sends data to the Banda Aceh City BPBD dashboard, which then triggers the activation of evacuation sirens for residents.

In the simulation held from the Mayor’s Pendopo in Banda Aceh on Sunday (26/4), the siren installed at the Baiturrahman Sub-District Office was successfully activated at exactly 10:00 WIB as a signal for residents to immediately head to the Temporary Evacuation Site (TES).

In addition to residential areas, testing was also conducted in public spaces, such as the car-free day (CFD) area, to accustom residents to responding to disaster information while outside their homes.

“Disaster preparedness is not just about having the equipment, but ensuring it functions. Moreover, the public must understand their roles and how to save themselves when hearing signals from the equipment,” he said.

The HKB 2026 Secretariat recorded that the simulation of testing the early warning equipment was participated in by at least 291,000 participants spread across 34 provinces, adjusted to the types of disaster vulnerabilities in each region.

“This increase in awareness must be maintained, because disasters can come at any time. HKB is not a ceremony, but a reminder that equipment and public behaviour are always ready,” said Suharyanto.

Suharyanto hopes that the risk of fatalities can be minimised through faster evacuation times for communities in river basins thanks to the presence of the Banda Aceh EWS infrastructure.