BMKG’s field school in Jayapura brings earthquake and tsunami education together with climate information for safer, more resilient communities.
When an earthquake strikes, the time available to make decisions can be limited. In coastal areas, understanding the warning signs and knowing how to respond can be critical. That is the message behind a field school organized by Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Jayapura Regency, Papua, on September 29, bringing together residents, government representatives, and technical institutions to strengthen preparedness for earthquakes, tsunamis, and changing weather conditions.
The program reflects a practical approach to disaster risk reduction in a region where seismic activity and coastal hazards are important considerations. Rather than focusing only on the science of natural hazards, the field school sought to connect information with decisions that people may need to make in everyday life, from responding to a potential emergency to planning agricultural and fishing activities.
According to reports by ANTARA News Papua, Fajar Papua, and the Papua office of the Agricultural Instrument Standardization and Modernization Agency (BRMP), the event combined three learning components: an Earthquake Field School, a Climate Field School, and a Fishermen’s Weather Field School. The activities were designed to strengthen public understanding while encouraging participants to share what they learned with their wider communities.
BMKG Brings Disaster Education to Jayapura
The field school was organized by BMKG’s Region V office in Jayapura and held in Sentani, the administrative center of Jayapura Regency. The program carried the theme, “Disaster-Resilient Communities, Food Self-Reliance, and Prosperous Fishermen: Real Action through the BMKG Papua Field School.”
Its scope extended beyond earthquake awareness. By bringing together disaster education, climate information, and maritime weather guidance, the program addressed several issues that affect the safety and livelihoods of people in the regency.
The opening ceremony was attended by Yustus Rumakiek, head of BMKG Region V Jayapura, and Abdul Rahman Basri, the Jayapura Regency administration’s assistant for economic affairs and development, who represented Regent Yunus Wonda. A range of government agencies, technical institutions, academics, and other stakeholders also took part.
Reports put participation at around 130 people, while BRMP Papua’s account recorded 134 participants. The attendees included members of the public, government personnel, security and emergency response representatives, health and education workers, business participants, and other local stakeholders.
The gathering provided an opportunity to bring different groups into the same discussion. Disaster preparedness is not limited to one agency: it also depends on how information reaches households, how public institutions coordinate, and how communities understand the risks in their surroundings.
Why Earthquake and Tsunami Awareness Matters
Yustus Rumakiek emphasized that people in Jayapura need to understand the area’s history of earthquakes and remain prepared for possible future events.
“We must work together to keep Jayapura Regency safe and secure in facing natural disasters. The community must also always be prepared and responsive,” he said, as reported by ANTARA.
His message underlined a central point of disaster preparedness: previous experience should encourage readiness, not complacency. An area that has experienced earthquakes cannot assume that the absence of a recent major event means the risk has disappeared.
The field school aimed to provide participants with a sound understanding of earthquake potential and the implications of seismic and tsunami hazards. BMKG also hoped that participants would become an extension of its public education efforts, passing relevant information to other residents wherever they live.
That community-level approach matters because official information is most useful when people can understand it and act on it. Public awareness can help residents recognize why preparedness matters, pay attention to information from competent authorities, and consider in advance how they would respond to an emergency.
The reports describe the program’s educational objectives but do not provide a detailed account of every practical exercise or a specific evacuation route established during the event. Its immediate contribution should therefore be understood as strengthening knowledge and awareness, rather than proof that all participants or neighborhoods are now fully prepared.
Connecting Climate Literacy with Local Livelihoods
The program also addressed the relationship between changing weather conditions and economic activity. For many communities, climate information is not an abstract subject. It can influence decisions about when to plant, how to manage agricultural activities, and when conditions at sea may require additional caution.
Abdul Rahman Basri said that Jayapura Regency faces earthquake vulnerability and that resilience depends partly on whether residents and stakeholders are accustomed to paying attention to BMKG warnings and translating them into timely action.
He also highlighted the effects of weather and climate variability on agriculture, fisheries, and other activities. Through the field school, farmers and fishers were expected to gain a deeper understanding of how to adjust their activities to changing conditions while seeking to maintain productivity.
The program’s three-part structure reflected the connection between safety and livelihoods. The Earthquake Field School focused on disaster preparedness, the Climate Field School on using climate information in agricultural decisions, and the Fishermen’s Weather Field School on maritime weather and wave conditions.
The combination is significant for local planning. Communities face different types of risk depending on where they live and how they earn a living. A farmer may need information relevant to planting schedules and changing rainfall patterns, while a fisher may need to consider sea conditions before heading out. Earthquake and tsunami preparedness, meanwhile, requires awareness that applies across occupations and neighborhoods.
BRMP Papua Supports the Field School
The Papua office of BRMP participated in the program and contributed to the Climate Field School component. Its involvement connected the disaster education initiative with agricultural knowledge and the practical use of climate information.
BRMP Papua chief Aser Rouw attended the opening ceremony alongside local government representatives and other stakeholders. Septi Wulandari, an agricultural specialist from the agency, delivered material on the use of climate information in farming.
The session focused on how climate data can inform decisions about planting times, farm management, and preparations for climate-related risks. The intention was to help agricultural communities use the available information as one input in planning their activities.
This contribution broadened the program’s reach beyond emergency response. While disaster education helps communities prepare for potentially dangerous events, climate literacy can support decisions made throughout the year. Together, these areas of learning can contribute to more informed local planning.
BRMP Papua’s participation also illustrated the value of technical cooperation. BMKG provides meteorological, climatological, and geophysical information, while agricultural institutions can help explain how climate-related information may be applied in farming. Local government and community organizations, in turn, have an important role in making sure information is accessible and relevant to residents.
Turning Warnings into Practical Action
One of the central messages from the Jayapura administration was that receiving a warning is only part of preparedness. People also need to understand what the information means and what actions may be appropriate.
Basri said community resilience depends on residents and stakeholders becoming accustomed to paying attention to BMKG warnings and translating them into quick and appropriate evacuation action when necessary.
For disaster education to have a lasting effect, that principle needs to extend beyond a single event. Public awareness is strengthened when information is repeated, understood, and incorporated into household and community planning. Coordination among institutions is also important so that residents receive consistent guidance and know where to obtain official information.
The field school’s emphasis on participants becoming messengers of public education offers one possible way to extend its reach. Participants can share the lessons with family members, neighbors, and colleagues, helping to bring the subject into conversations outside formal training settings.
However, the effectiveness of that approach depends on continued engagement. A one-day program can introduce important concepts, but preparedness also requires reinforcement, accessible information, and practical arrangements suited to local conditions.
The reports do not establish whether the event included a full-scale evacuation drill or whether participants were assessed on their knowledge after the sessions. Those details would help measure how effectively the training translated into practical readiness.
Cooperation Across Government and Communities
The event brought together BMKG, the Jayapura Regency administration, BRMP Papua, and other stakeholders, including representatives from security, emergency response, and public institutions.
The collaboration reflects the different responsibilities involved in reducing disaster risk. Technical agencies generate and communicate information, local administrations help coordinate public services, and community members make decisions that affect their safety and livelihoods.
The participation of agricultural specialists was particularly relevant to the program’s climate component. The involvement of a wider group of participants also created an opportunity to connect disaster awareness with the institutions and networks that residents may encounter in daily life.
In the longer term, cooperation of this kind can support a more consistent approach to public education. Information about hazards and weather conditions is more useful when it is communicated clearly and linked to the needs of people who must make decisions based on it.
For Jayapura, the challenge is not simply to distribute information but to ensure that it reaches people in forms they can understand and use. That includes residents with different occupations, levels of access to information, and familiarity with official warning systems.
Building Resilience Beyond a Single Event
The Jayapura field school offers a snapshot of how disaster preparedness and climate literacy can be brought together in a local setting. Its approach recognizes that safety, food production, and fishing activities are connected to the way communities understand and respond to environmental conditions.
The program’s value will ultimately depend on what happens after the participants return to their communities. Continued public education and clear communication and coordination between agencies can help reinforce the knowledge introduced during the sessions. Local authorities and technical institutions can also use community feedback to identify which information remains difficult to understand and where additional training may be useful.
For residents, the practical message is straightforward: understanding risk is an important part of being prepared. Paying attention to official information, discussing possible responses with family members, and learning how weather and hazard information relate to daily activities can all contribute to more informed decisions.
For public institutions, the task is to sustain the connection between technical knowledge and community needs. Field schools can serve as a platform for that work, but they are one part of a wider process that requires continuity.
Jayapura’s September 29 program did not remove the region’s exposure to earthquakes, tsunamis, or climate variability. It did, however, bring residents and institutions together around a shared objective: strengthening the knowledge that supports safer communities and more informed livelihoods. The next measure of progress will be whether that knowledge continues to circulate and becomes part of everyday preparedness.
Conclusion
BMKG’s field school in Jayapura Regency highlights the importance of turning disaster knowledge into practical community preparedness. By combining earthquake and tsunami education with climate literacy for farmers and fishers, the programme connects public safety with the everyday needs of local communities. Continued education, stronger coordination between institutions and wider access to reliable information will be essential to sustaining these efforts. In a region exposed to seismic and coastal hazards, building resilience is not a one-time activity but a long-term commitment to protecting lives, supporting livelihoods and strengthening community readiness.
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