The village grant team from the UGM Center for Disaster Studies installed an early warning system (EWS) in Sompok Hamlet, Bantul.
In addition to the installation, the UGM team also had the opportunity to provide explanations and counseling regarding various devices that would be used.
The installation and counseling, which took place on Sunday (November 12), brought together the center’s research team consisting of Dr. Nugroho Christanto., Dr. Muhammad Anggri Setiawan, and Sulkhan Nurrohman, an alumnus of the UGM Faculty of Geography).
Dr. Christanto said that the installed EWS device is SIPENDIL, a landslide detection device operated based on the rainfall threshold (in millimeters).
“SIPENDIL is the result of the work of researchers from the center,” he said.
He explained that SIPENDIL functions as a warning system for the probability of landslides, operating by monitoring the rainfall threshold as a triggering factor.
It is important to emphasize that SIPENDIL is not a direct detection tool that provides information on when and where a landslide will occur.
The tool consists of two main components: ALPARIS, installed in a closed room, and a rain gauge component, installed on the roof of an open room.
Sulkhan Nurrohman did an introduction and explanation of the components and workings of SIPENDIL in Sompok.
In his presentation, he stated that SIPENDIL was not created for commercial purposes but was specifically designed to meet disaster mitigation needs as a service.
The presentation was delivered to the residents who are members of the KATANA (Disaster Resilient Village).
In front of KATANA members, Sulkhan advised them to remain calm when the SIPENDIL alarm sounds or reaches the alert level (red), indicating that the rainfall has exceeded 90 mm.
This warning aims to inform the SIPENDIL operator to make evacuation decisions and convey information to other residents. In this program, the existence of KATANA is recognized as a crucial factor in operating SIPENDIL.
“Without the involvement of KATANA in the hamlet, the installation of SIPENDIL would not optimally function because no matter how sophisticated the tool is, it still depends on humans as users,” Nurrohman explained.
Authors: Fatma Kusuma Probodani and Agung Nugroho