Exploring Aceh Heritages to Reduce Disaster Risk
Office of International Affairs for the first-time hold again Disaster Summer Camp directly on-site during the pandemic, 10 – 12 August 2022. The event this year took a theme called Disaster Risk Reduction for Cultural Heritage, where participants had the opportunity to learn the concepts of disaster risk reduction in the cultural heritages of Aceh.
The Summer Camp program aims to introduce the cultural heritage covered with the activities of identifying potential disaster risks, as well as mitigation and effective responses to several disasters that may occur and affect the cultural heritage. Thus, the cultural heritage and area can be conserved.
Participants of this program were local and international students of Universitas Syiah Kuala, they were from the Philippines, Turkmenistan, Gambia, Palestine, Nigeria, also Indonesia.
The Summer Camp program was held for three days consisting of in-class meetings/courses, and site visits. The program invited Dr. Nazli, the lecturer of USK and an expert in Disaster Science. He delivered a presentation about the role of innovation and education in developing a culture for disaster prevention. To make the class becomes more exciting, he took the participants to visit some cultural sites around Banda Aceh that were mentioned during the class, such as Putroe Phang and Gunongan. During the class, Dr. Nazli also asked participants to compare the heritages of each country and discuss together ways to reduce disasters and other relevant topics.
The most interesting part and the main agenda of this Summer Camp program is visiting the cultural heritages of Biram Mountain, at Lamtamot, and Old Mosque Indrapuri (Masjid Tuha Indrapuri) at Indrapuri. These heritages are very unique and attractive for visitors, moreover, the sites are located in a remote area, Aceh Besar. Dr. Nazli further explained disaster issues during the trip that made participants enthusiastic. Dr. Nazli introduced pieces of heritage evidence, fractures that were produced by the earthquake earlier, and many others.
The Summer Camp program was officially opened by Dr. Muzailin Affan, the chairman of OIA, on 10 August 2022, and closed on 12 August 2022 in the Magister of Disaster Science building of Universitas Syiah Kuala.
