UNAIR team supply clean water and energy

Universitas Airlangga’s Disaster Emergency Response Team, bringing together personnel from the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), the Faculty of Advanced and Multidisciplinary Technology (FTMM), the Postgraduate School (SPS), and the Institute for Sustainable Community Service (LPMB), has resumed its community outreach efforts. Since arriving in West Sumatra on Saturday (December 13, 2025), the team has been actively coordinating with multiple stakeholders to support the effective execution of this humanitarian mission.

On Sunday (December 14, 2025), several team members met with the Agam Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) to review data on impacted areas. At the same time, other members conducted field assessments in Malalak Subdistrict, Agam Regency, to identify suitable sites for installing water filtration units, solar panels, and Starlink internet connectivity.

Following a roughly two-hour journey from the Lubuk Basung basecamp to Malalak District, the team arrived at the survey location in East Malalak, where connecting bridges between areas had collapsed. Access to the community required crossing a temporary bridge built over a rocky riverbed. During this process, the UNAIR team also assisted in transporting and distributing basic food supplies across the emergency bridge.

Accompanied by a local hamlet head, some team members carried out on-site surveys, while others held discussions with residents. Community members reported that several parts of Malalak Subdistrict continue to experience limited access to clean water. Daily needs depend largely on mountain spring sources, which were disrupted by galodo, a Minangkabau term for flash floods. Electricity supply, while generally stable, has yet to be fully restored.

After evaluating these conditions, the team decided to plan infrastructure installations near the affected areas. “We already have personnel stationed in Malalak from the Ksatria Airlangga Hospital Ship (RSKKA), which significantly streamlines coordination on the ground. Fortunately, the survey team also received valuable guidance from local residents,” said Ikhsan Rosyid, LPMB’s Community Service Coordinator.

After completing surveys and engaging with the Malalak community, the team also met with volunteers from Universitas Brawijaya to discuss Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives. The exchange focused on sharing perspectives and aligning plans for potential sites to install water purification systems.

These efforts by UNAIR’s Disaster Emergency Response Team are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The planned water filtration installations support SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).