MAPAGAMA Eksplorasi Gua-gua Pacitan
MAPAGAMA Eksplorasi Gua-gua Pacitan
Nature enthusiasts of Universitas Gadjah Mada’s student group (MAPAGAMA) have explored caves in Donorejo karst areas of Pacitan, East Java. Up to ten students joining Gladimadya MAPAGAMA group explored the caves from 23-31 January 2017.
Team coordinator, Dimas Irham Rabbani, said the Gladimadya event was an advanced process that have to be done by all members of Mapagama to get full membership.
“Following the recent developments in student nature enthusiast groups, MAPAGAMA have made an advanced training process with research activity,” he said on Tuesday (7/2).
Gladimadya this time has the tagline “Land of A Thousand Caves” which applies one of the three university missions, which is research. The research is done to know the quality of the underground water below the Luweng Ndawung area.
According to Dimas, the research started from their concerns over the difficulty to get water among the local people of Donorejo, Pacitan. The exploration that has been carried out in the Sekar village has found 18 cave openings with five already being mapped.
Gladimadya event is closed with a discussion on the results of exploration, cave mapping, water quality research, and socialisation on the benefit, ethics and SOP of caves. These are expected to raise people awareness on the importance of sustaining the caves.
“Hopefully, the discussion will open a new horizon for the local residents on the importance of karst areas and potential,” he said.
The residents welcomed the event warmly. Chief of Sekar village, Miswandi, hoped the cooperation between MAPAGAMA and the village will continue in the future.
“We hope the cooperation would continue for cave sustainability,” he said.