Cross-Campus Team Launches Post-Disaster Recovery Programme in Bener Meriah
Banda Aceh (ANTARA) - A team from the Collaborative Indonesian Community Service Programme (PMKI), combining the efforts of Syiah Kuala University (USK), Brawijaya University (UB) and Padang State University (UNP), has carried out a post-disaster recovery programme in Pantan Kemuning village, Timang Gajah subdistrict, Bener Meriah regency.
“This programme is an initiative of the Association of Research and Community Service Institutes (LPPM) of Indonesian State Universities with Legal Entity status (PTNBH), aimed at delivering tangible impact for communities,” said the team leader from USK, Ir Freddy Sapta Wirandha, in Banda Aceh on Friday.
He explained that the team’s presence was intended to strengthen village resilience on a sustainable basis, forming part of the wider PMKI scheme running from May to November 2026.
He said the programme was not merely oriented towards academic outcomes, but genuinely focused on recovering from the impacts of disaster and building community resilience in Pantan Kemuning through a science and technology-based approach.
The UB team included Dr dr Sri Soenarti, SpPD, K-Ger, Dr Ns Mukhamad Fathoni, SKep, MNS, Prof Dr Eng Fadly Usman, ST, MT, and Prof Dr Ir Qomariyatus Sholihah, MKes, IPU.
From UNP, the participants were Dr Nofi Yendri Sudiar, MSi, Dedy Fitriawan, SPd, MSi, and Iip Permana, ST, MT. The team was also supported by 15 students from USK’s Geophysical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Informatics programmes.
The work programme to be carried out includes mapping potential water resources and land cover, technical training, disaster mitigation education, and the establishment of a Disaster-Aware Community Group (POKDARNA).
The Reje (village head) of Pantan Kemuning, Zahrial Fikri, said the assistance was greatly needed by residents as they rebuild their lives after the disaster.
“We are fully committed to supporting this series of programmes so that they can bring long-term benefits to our village,” he said.
The collaboration has also received full backing from the local government. The head of the Bener Meriah Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Ilham Abdi, expressed his appreciation for the concrete steps taken by the PMKI team.
“We are grateful for the presence of the PMKI team in Pantan Kemuning, one of the villages affected by the hydrometeorological disaster at the end of 2025. The Bener Meriah BPBD stands ready to open channels of coordination and cooperate as widely as possible to ensure the recovery process runs optimally,” Ilham concluded.