Development of Disaster Resilient and Sustainable University Framework: Case of Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)

Abstract

Indonesia is an archipelagic and seismic active country, home to 241 million people. It also has 3,276 higher education institutions (in 2017), with a total of more than 6.9 million students and more than 247 thousands of academic staffs. Following the Sendai Framework for Action (SFDRR 2015-2045), Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030), the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) has declared that universities need to ensure the safety of students, faculties, staffs and assets during natural disaster, which led to the concept of Disaster Resilient University (DRU). Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) is the oldest engineering higher education institution in Indonesia. Its main campus is located in Bandung city and home to about 21 thousand students and 2600 permanent faculties and staffs. Bandung is vulnerable to flood, rain storm, fire, earthquake, landslide and volcano. Since 2017 the Research Center for Disaster Mitigation (PPMB), working together with ITB Unit for Security, Safety, Health and Environment (K3L) is promoting the concept of Disaster Resilient University. The ultimate goal is that ITB to achieve a Disaster Resilient University status by 2025, through the achievement of the following objectives: strong partnerships within the campus community as well as with government, built-in awareness and safety culture in ITB, and improved resiliency by building capacity for reducing disaster risk, managing emergency, including continuity of operation. The activities consist of 4 phases with the following outputs: ITB DRU policy and action plan; organized campus resources, disaster risk assessment of ITB Campuses; annual emergency response exercises and drill; trained campus staffs and students in the emergency response and continuity of operation. The DRU best practices will be shared with other universities and higher education institutions in Indonesia.