USU Advances Village Disaster Readiness

Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), through its Institute for Research and Community Service, has initiated a community engagement programme to support disaster resilience planning in Sidoharjo I Pasar Miring Village, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra.

The first meeting was held on 25 June 2026 at the village head office and brought together the USU's partner village and the village government. The discussion focused on the village’s environmental conditions and recurring disaster risks, particularly tornado-like strong winds and flooding.

Village Head Santoso, S.Sos., S.H., said the risks faced by the community were not merely potential threats, but recurring incidents that had affected residents directly.

“This year alone, there have been two strong wind disasters, around February and May 2026. Flooding also occurred when several areas in Sumatra were inundated, and we were affected as well, with hundreds of houses impacted,” he said.

The meeting highlighted the relevance of USU’s Desa Binaan programme, which aims to strengthen disaster governance, risk communication, community capacity, and resilience at the village level. Although Sidoharjo I Pasar Miring already has a DESTANA, or Disaster Resilient Village programme, the initiative has not yet operated effectively and requires further institutional and technical support.

The USU team was led by Dra. Februati Trimurni, M.Si., Ph.D., with members from the USU's partner village. According to Dra. Februati, the next phase will involve a Focus Group Discussion with village officials, community representatives, DESTANA administrators, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, and the district education office.

“After this, we will hold an FGD involving Sidoharjo village officials, community representatives, DESTANA administrators, BPBD, and the district education office. One of the expected outputs is a Disaster Risk Assessment, which we hope can later be implemented in the village,” she said.

The planned FGD, scheduled for August 2026, will help identify local vulnerabilities, map community needs, and develop practical disaster risk reduction measures. The programme will later continue with monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the outcomes can be used sustainably by the village government and local community.

Through this initiative, USU aims to connect academic expertise with local knowledge and community experience. The collaboration is expected to help Sidoharjo I Pasar Miring move beyond having a disaster resilience programme in name, towards building a more active, participatory, and practical system for disaster preparedness.