The initiative, titled “SADAR Bencana: Participatory Mapping and Placemaking of Evacuation Routes for Multi-Hazard Resilience in Pulo Madu Village,” was implemented through ITB’s Bottom-Up Community Service Programme organized by the Directorate of Community Service and Expertise (DPMK ITB). SADAR Bencana is an acronym for Siaga dan Antisipasi Daerah Rawan Bencana, meaning “Preparedness and Anticipation in Disaster-Prone Areas.”

Led by Gabriella Alodia, Ph.D., from the Hydrography Research Group, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology (FITB ITB), the programme brought together a diverse range of collaborators, including the karasa.bdg Community, RumahKebun, the Selayar Islands Marine and Fisheries Agency, and the Selayar Islands Tourism and Culture Agency.

As the outermost island in South Sulawesi, Pulo Madu faces considerable vulnerability due to both its exposure to natural hazards and its remoteness from government service centres.

Geological and hydrometeorological hazards not only pose direct threats to local infrastructure but can also disrupt the flow of logistics and inter-island transportation.

“The people of Pulo Madu depend heavily on supplies such as rice, poultry, and fuel from neighboring islands. Unpredictable weather and sea conditions can make it difficult for these essential goods to reach the community,” explained Hasriani rom the Selayar Islands Marine and Fisheries Agency.

In response to these challenges, the programme began with a series of focus group discussions aimed at identifying hazards, disasters, and significant local incidents that had occurred over the past four decades. These discussions were complemented by participatory mapping activities through which residents collectively identified evacuation routes and assembly points.

“We adopted a participatory mapping approach to ensure that all segments of the community, including community leaders, fishers, homemakers, youth, healthcare workers, and persons with disabilities, were actively involved in determining evacuation routes and assembly points. This helps ensure that the selected locations can effectively accommodate the needs of different groups during an emergency. In addition, we developed a timeline of disasters and hazards experienced by the community, along with the adaptation measures they have undertaken,” said Difa Kusumadewi, a doctoral candidate from the School of Architecture, Planning, and Policy Development of ITB (SAPPK ITB).

Disaster education activities for elementary and junior high school students were conducted through a series of workshops, including self-awareness and development exercises, guided exploration of evacuation routes identified during the participatory mapping process, and the creating of “SADAR Bencana” mural as part of placemaking effort at one of the evacuation sites.

“Elementary and especially junior high school students play a crucial role in building community resilience because they can influence both younger children and adults around them. We therefore simulated various roles they might take on during a disaster, including leaders, guardians, caregivers, and communicators. The mural itself serves as both a statement and a reminder of the assembly points and evacuation routes that have been established,” said Andi Abdulqodir from the karasa.bdg Community.

Alongside these educational activities, the team also installed a Marine Automatic Weather Station (MAWAS), a collaborative innovation developed by Dr. Iwan Pramesti Anwar (FITB ITB) and his team, in collaboration with PT. Samudra Sains Teknologi.

“We concluded the programme with the inauguration of the MAWAS station and a disaster evacuation simulation competition involving elementary and junior high school students. We hope that this ocean and weather monitoring station will provide the community with easy access to marine and weather information and become an integral part of daily life in Pulo Madu. The evacuation simulation was designed as a competition to help embed the culture of SADAR Bencana in children’s core memories, so that the lessons learned can be put into practice should unforeseen events occur in the future,” said Gabriella.

The entire programme will be documented in a short film crafted by RumahKebun, a youth-based community organisation from Selayar Island.