East Kalimantan deploys 3,400 students for disaster mitigation

East Kalimantan is enlisting 3,400 university students to bolster disaster mitigation efforts, deploying them to villages across the province. The students, participating in their mandatory community service program (KKN), will educate residents and gather crucial data on disaster risks.

This initiative is a collaboration between the BPBD, the provincial government's village empowerment agency, and nine universities in East Kalimantan. The students' role is thematic, focusing on disaster data collection to provide local authorities with a clearer picture of potential threats. They will assess environmental conditions, vulnerability levels, and community preparedness for various disaster types.

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We collaborate with the Village Community Empowerment Agency and universities to request support from KKN students to take on a thematic role related to disaster data.

BPBD Chief Buyung Dodi Gunawan emphasized that involving students strengthens a community-based approach to disaster management. Their presence in villages serves to bridge disaster information dissemination and foster early prevention awareness among residents. The data collected will supplement existing government information, enabling the creation of more effective mitigation policies tailored to each region's unique geographical, social, and cultural characteristics.

The program also aims to bolster the development of "Desa Tangguh Bencana" (Destana), a national program fostering village-level disaster resilience. Gunawan highlighted the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration, particularly in anticipating forest and land fires during the dry season, noting that human activity remains a primary cause of these fires.

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We collaborate with the Village Community Empowerment Agency and universities to request support from KKN students to take on a thematic role related to disaster data.