The threat of recurrent flooding continues to loom over several disaster-affected areas in Sumatra, particularly in Aceh and West Sumatra. Toward the end of 2025, on Tuesday (Dec. 30), heavy rainfall once again struck Bener Meriah Regency, Aceh. River flows still clogged with debris from previous floods overflowed, inundating residential areas in Lampahan Timur and Lampahan Induk villages, Timang Gajah District, Bener Meriah Regency.
Responding to public concern over repeated flooding, a team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) installed a flood disaster early warning system (EWS) in the area.
The program is led by a civil engineering lecturer from the UGM Vocational College (SV UGM), Dr. Adhy Kurniawan, in collaboration with the UGM Center for Energy Studies (PSE UGM) and Teuku Umar University.
The initiative is supported by a grant from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology under the Emergency Disaster Response Community Service Program.
The installed EWS is designed to be energy-independent through solar panels and is equipped with water-level sensors, river-monitoring CCTV, and a warning siren that can be heard by residents when flood risks increase.
“The selection of the EWS installation site was based on the recurrent flooding incidents at the end of 2025 in Lampahan Timur Village,” Dr. Kurniawan said during an interview on Friday (Jan. 9).
He explained that reaching the location was no easy task, as a total of 31 cargo packages of equipment had to be shipped in stages from Yogyakarta to Aceh. Dr. Kurniawan recounted that the journey to Bener Meriah was also challenging.
“From Banda Aceh to Bireuen alone can take more than six hours, followed by another six hours to Bener Meriah. Road access and weather conditions were indeed quite demanding,” he explained.
After all the equipment arrived and was assembled, the team began field work. The EWS installation was finally carried out on Jan. 2, 2026, in Lampahan Timur, Timang Gajah District, Bener Meriah Regency, following coordination with the village government and local community.
Dr. Kurniawan explained that the EWS operates by detecting fluctuations or changes in river water levels. The sensor transmits data to the system, and when the water level exceeds a predetermined threshold, the siren will automatically sound.
He added that the EWS features two loudspeakers installed facing different directions so that warnings can be heard in more than one residential area. In addition, the CCTV allows regular visual monitoring of river conditions, with recordings accessible through a monitoring webpage.
“The hope is that when the siren sounds, residents will understand that it signals rising water levels and that they must prepare, for example, by securing important belongings,” he said.
The installation of the EWS in Bener Meriah marks the third such system deployed by the UGM team in Aceh.
Previously, two EWS units were installed in collaboration with Teuku Umar University and Cipta Mandiri University on Simeulue Island in 2024 through the Kosabangsa program, and in the Meulaboh area in 2025.
According to Dr. Kurniawan, the main challenge in installing an EWS is determining the most suitable location. However, in Bener Meriah, the process went relatively smoothly.
“Thank God, the location was determined quickly, and the installation went smoothly. We brought the main equipment from Yogyakarta; locally, we only needed to purchase the supporting poles,” he said.
Regarding sustainability, management, and maintenance, responsibility for the system has been transferred to the local community and the regional government. Looking ahead, Dr. Kurniawan noted that the system has the potential to be replicated in other flood-prone areas.
“We have officially handed over this equipment to the community because the key concept of an early warning system is that it must function before a disaster occurs to provide alerts. In the future, it could be developed at multiple points and monitored through a single dashboard, but this will be done gradually,” Dr. Kurniawan explained.
He added that the EWS is flexible and can be relocated if necessary.
Dr. Kurniawan explained that if, in the future, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) deems relocation necessary, the system can be easily moved. The equipment is equipped with a GPS that will automatically adjust to the new location.
In closing, Dr. Kurniawan expressed hope that the installed EWS will be fully utilized by the community.
“Hopefully, this equipment will be well-maintained and properly operated so that it can provide early warnings before floods occur. This is our small contribution to the people of Aceh,” he concluded.
Author: Hanifah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: PSE UGM