A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck Cianjur Regency, West Java, on Monday, November 21, 2022, at 1:21 PM WIB. The tremor was felt as far away as the University of Indonesia (UI), located near Cianjur Regency. As a form of sympathy and concern, UI, through 12 students from the UI Nature Lovers Student Activity Unit (Mapala) and the Geography Mountaineering Club (GMC) of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) UI, acted quickly through the UI Cares action on Monday after the natural disaster occurred.
The aid distribution was carried out from Tuesday, November 22 to 24. In carrying out this UI Cares activity, Mapala UI coordinated with relevant agencies, one of which was the Cianjur Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).
In addition to distributing logistics in the form of accommodation and food to earthquake victims, UI students also supported the BPBD’s activities in assessing isolated areas and mapping affected areas so that aid could be distributed precisely to those most in need.
Fauzan Abdurrahman Masykur (Geography 2020) Chair of GMC UI said, “On the first day, we immediately coordinated with the Cianjur BPBD regarding the assessment. The next day, we returned to the Cianjur BPPD to request data on the number of buildings affected by the earthquake. After that, we were directed to the Earthquake Response Command Center at the Cianjur Regent’s Hall and then directed again to the Cianjur Sub-district Office.”
However, Fauzan said, at that time the sub-district did not have data on building damage, so the sub-district opened up the opportunity to collaborate with GMC UI to conduct a survey of affected buildings using the By Name By Address geotagging method.
“So the By Name By Address geotagging survey matches the family card name to the building where the person lives. Its purpose is to be applied to the distribution of aid, which will ensure it is on target,” said Fauzan.
Furthermore, to assess the structural damage to several buildings, including private residences and public buildings in the area, such as shophouses and schools, the team moved quickly to conduct an assessment by observing the shape, criteria, and extent of the damage. The results of this inspection are expected to serve as a reference for making recommendations.
“In addition to residents’ residences, we also assessed the condition of shophouses and schools in the Cianjur area to determine the extent of damage. From these assessments, we obtained insights to recommend to relevant parties, including schools, how educational activities in the area can be quickly restored,” he said.
And until today, Fauzan informed the UI FMIPA public relations team that he and his team had successfully recorded 230 buildings.
“We have assessed 230 residential buildings, such as houses and shophouses,” he added.
On various occasions, Mapala UI and the Geographical Mountaineering Club FMIPA UI were recorded as actively providing assistance to disaster victims in the affected areas, especially in the Sudi village, Salahuni village, Nagrak village, Cianjur District, West Java.
The activities carried out by all volunteers from Mapala UI and the Geographical Mountaineering Club FMIPA UI included setting up refugee tents, while assistance from the GMC UI team was more specific regarding spatial data collection and mapping of affected houses and buildings.
UI Cares is a manifestation of UI’s community service (pengmas), both in the form of actions and social assistance, distributed throughout the country. The UI Cares team is coordinated by the Directorate of Community Service and Empowerment (DPPM).
So far, UI Peduli has always moved quickly to areas affected by disasters, by collaborating with several parties/partners, starting from ALUNI UI, the local government, to provide assistance to the victims.
About Mapala UI
Mapala UI is a university-level student activity unit established on December 12, 1964. Mapala UI provides a forum for University of Indonesia students to participate in outdoor activities, contribute to the community, and care about environmental preservation. Mapala UI was established on Ciampea Hill, Bogor. The name used at that time was Mapala Prajnaparamita. Prajnaparamita is taken from Sanskrit, meaning Goddess of Knowledge. Mapala also means fruitful or successful.
The idea to form this pioneering organization of nature lovers on campus was initiated by Soe Hok Gie (M-007-UI), a prominent student activist. Fed up with the current situation of intrigue and political conflict among students at the time, Hok Gie proposed forming an organization that could serve as a gathering place for various student groups.
About Geography Mountaineering Club FMIPA UI
At the beginning of its establishment, GMC UI was formed simultaneously with the establishment of the Geography Department of FMIPA Ul and was only a group of students who liked mountain climbing and enjoying other outdoor activities. Initially, the position of GMC UI was a sub-field of KSMG (Geography Student Senate Commission) which was directly under the sports field, but in line with the development of the GMC organization, it then changed into a special field and finally became a Semi-Autonomous Body with the basis that had been determined by the founders of GMC since 1983.
The development of GMC is actually more influenced by the development of trends in environmental problems faced by society in maintaining their environment which are becoming clearer and the need for effective action is felt to be more urgent, while the complexity of these problems actually makes efforts to find solutions increasingly difficult.
From there, the policy direction and orientation of GMC’s activities gradually shifted. Adhering to the organization’s goals as outlined in its Articles of Association and its belief in what individuals, groups, institutions, and governments can do to help solve environmental problems and implement global conservation strategies.
