SEAMEO BIOTROP conducted a training on mapping and disaster mitigation in coastal areas on 24-28 September 2018 at its Headquarter in Bogor. This training aimed to improve the ability of training participants in understanding and knowing kinds of disasters in coastal areas and their mitigation, the characteristics of disaster-prone areas and exposed areas, the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) to identify mangrove ecosystems as one of the efforts to mitigate coastal disasters, and the use of drones for taking aerial photos to map the distribution of ecosystem in coastal areas.

In addition to those purposes, this training also focused on the development and preparation of teaching material according to the rules of the revised Curriculum 2017 that contains Strengthening of Character Education (PPK), Literacy, 4C (Creative, Critical thinking, Communicative and Collaborative), and Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) which apply mapping techniques in disaster mitigation activities in coastal areas. Thus, 21 participants consisting of school teachers and representatives from Non-Government Organization and Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) throughout Indonesia were invited to join this activity.

Deputy Director for Program, Dr Jess Fernandez, in his opening remarks conveyed the significance of mapping and disaster mitigation in coastal areas for minimalizing the impacts of disasters considering that Indonesia is one of the disaster-prone archipelago areas. This prevention concept is also needed to be adopted into school curriculum, therefore, since early stage the students can be aware of dangerous disasters that may occur anytime anywhere.
Dr Jess added that this training also represented the Centre’s first program thrust stating ‘Restoration of Degraded Ecosystem’ in which the Centre supports and assists the recovery process of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed, including due to a disaster.

To achieve its objectives, this training presented four experts, namely Prof Dewayany Sutrisno from Geospatial Information Agency (BIG); Mr Pratomo Cahyo Nugroho, ST, from Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management; Mr Armaiki Yusmur, MSi, from BIOTROP; and Dr Samsul B. Agus from the Centre of Disaster Studies of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB).

The materials were delivered in lectures and practicum sessions, including: 1) introduction to disasters in coastal areas, 2) introduction to RSGIS application for disaster mapping in coastal areas, 3) oceanographic and hydrodynamics aspects of coastal areas, 4) management of mangrove and coastal ecosystems in disaster mitigation of coastal areas, 5) data acquisition techniques for disaster, 6) introduction to the GIS ArcGIS tool, 7) utilization of UAV technology for disaster mapping, 8) UAV data processing for disaster mapping, 9) identification of mangrove ecosystems as disaster mitigation effort in coastal areas, 10) utilization of the INARISK Portal for mapping disaster area vulnerability, 11) mapping of disaster areas, and 12) presentation of maps with ARCGIS/QGIS.

“At the end of the training, a topic on action plan formulation was also provided in which each participant can create their project plan for their respective institution,” said Dr Jess. “BIOTROP will assist the participants in implementing the materials gained from the training in the form of an action plan, so that the training will produce something beneficial and sustainable for each participants’ institution.”