UGM and Mount Fuji Research Institute Japan have done mitigation programme related to Mt. Merapi for school children and teachers, named as Mt. Merapi – UGM – Mt. Fuji Research Institute (MGF) programme.
Training is given to three primary schools, SD Glagaharjo (Sleman regency), SDN Kalibening and SD Kanisius Prontakan in Magelang.
“The program is a cooperation of Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Geography UGM, and MRFI with the funding from Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency. This is an education on how to make the children aware of disaster, especially related to Mt. Merapi disaster,” said Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, opening a workshop on Wednesday (14/2) at Auditorium of Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences UGM.
MGF Project is a program for disaster education enhancement to give awareness to primary school children that lasts for 3 years. It aims at increasing the ability to mitigate Mt. Merapi eruptions using monitor systems for the west part of the mountain.
Panut added good awareness of eruption among children in disaster prone areas was one way to develop disaster awareness habit since early stage. Thus, they can identify and respond to disasters appropriately.
“Instilling the disaster awareness habit is important for our children so that they can be ready in the place where disaster occurs,” he said.
Representatives from MFRI, Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto, appreciated the children and teachers that supported the programme.
“I saw the seriousness of the school children in Indonesia when doing the training on volcano disaster training,” he said.
The training is one major program of the Japanese government done to primary school children aside from others. He hoped through the cooperation with UGM, joint concepts of mitigation can benefit both Japan and Indonesia.
“Thank you to UGM that has made this event possible. By combining mitigation concepts in Japan and Indonesia would make Indonesian regions more progressing in disaster mitigation areas,” he added.