SEMARANG REGENCY – The Community Service Team of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), conducted a capacity-strengthening program for the Disaster-Resilient Village (Destana) committees of Kemambang and Wirogomo Villages, Banyubiru District, Semarang Regency, on Tuesday-Wednesday, July 14-15, 2026.
The activity, held at Kemambang Village Hall, aimed to improve community resilience in facing potential disasters, particularly landslides, which are among the major risks in the Kemambang and Wirogomo areas.
This community service program was carried out in collaboration with the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Semarang Regency and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) of Central Java. The collaboration was designed to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and preparedness of Destana committees and local civil protection members in responding to disaster risks at the village level.
Participants attended a Destana capacity-strengthening session featuring materials from BPBD Semarang Regency and BMKG Central Java.
The Head of the FMIPA UNNES Community Service Team, Dr. Khumaedi, M.Si., explained that the activity was part of the second phase of the community service program, focusing on strengthening the Destana committee in Kemambang. Through this activity, Destana members are expected to become more resilient cadres who are able to take quick and appropriate action during disaster situations.
“We invited speakers from BPBD Semarang Regency to provide material on strengthening Destana. From BMKG, participants received an explanation of extreme weather analysis that may potentially trigger disasters in the village area,” he stated.
The FMIPA UNNES community service team also involved several lecturers as members, namely Prof. Dr. Supriyadi, M.Si., Prof. Dr. Mahardika Prasetya Aji, and Dr. Upik Nurbaiti. The activity also involved four students: Nisfa Mufatihah, Sri Endah Ardhi Ningrum Abdullah, Fatmawati, and Mochamad Hilmi Bilqi.
During the program, participants received materials on disaster management capacity building, Destana institutional strengthening, extreme weather potential analysis, and the use of disaster-related information. On the first day, the activity also included a matrix discussion among participants and the development of disaster-prone area maps for Kemambang and Wirogomo Villages.
Participants and the BPBD Semarang Regency team discussed the development of disaster-prone area maps for Kemambang and Wirogomo Villages.
Prof. Dr. Supriyadi, M.Si. explained that the activity was directed at strengthening the initiatives that had already been carried out by the Destana committee. In addition to capacity building, the program also supported stronger cooperation among FMIPA UNNES, BPBD, and the Kemambang Village Government for future disaster-related programs.
On the second day, the activity continued with a fire disaster response simulation guided by the BPBD Semarang Regency team. This simulation was designed to ensure that participants not only understood disaster preparedness concepts, but also gained practical experience in responding to emergency situations.
In the session related to weather and climate information, participants learned about the characteristics of extreme weather that may increase disaster risk. This understanding is important because Kemambang and Wirogomo are categorized as disaster-prone areas, especially for landslides during periods of high-intensity rainfall.
Representatives of BMKG Central Java also introduced the use of the Info BMKG application and BMKG’s official information channels. These platforms can be used by the community to monitor weather forecasts, early warnings, earthquake information, potential tsunami alerts, air quality, maritime weather, and climate information more easily.
The Head of BPBD Semarang Regency, Alexander Gunawan Tribiantoro, S.STP., M.M., encouraged participants to use the activity as an opportunity to strengthen disaster management capacity at the village level. According to him, mapping, discussion, and field data collection are important to identify vulnerable points, risks, and disaster management needs.
Meanwhile, the Head of Kemambang Village, Heru Susanto, S.E., emphasized the importance of strengthening the capacity of Destana committees and local civil protection members. He noted that continuous reinforcement is needed so that residents can respond quickly and do not underestimate disaster threats.
This activity also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) through the strengthening of village capacity in building disaster preparedness and resilience systems. The program also aligns with SDG 13 (Climate Action) by improving community understanding of extreme weather, disaster risks, and mitigation measures. In addition, the activity supports SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through collaboration among higher education institutions, BPBD, BMKG, village government, and local communities.
Through this community service activity, FMIPA UNNES expects the Destana committees of Kemambang and Wirogomo to become better prepared in prevention, mitigation, and initial disaster response. This collaboration-based capacity strengthening is expected to support the development of villages that are more resilient, adaptive, and sustainable.
