IEEE Indonesia – Humanitarian Program Disaster Response for Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatra

Mar23

Posted by Vijay S Paul
Posted in R10 Today

IEEE Indonesia Humanitarian Program – Disaster Response for Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatra

Date: January – February, 2026
Locations:

Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province (Aceh Tamiang)
North Sumatra Province (Langkat and Tapanuli Tengah)

Participants:
IEEE Indonesia Section Committee, Chapter representatives, and Local Student Branch

Supporters: Universitas Sumatera Utara (North Sumatera) & Universitas Syiah Kuala (Aceh)

Severe floods and landslides struck two provinces in Indonesia—Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatra—beginning in November 2025 and peaking in December. The disaster resulted in over 1,000 fatalities and displaced hundreds of thousands of residents, with recovery efforts continuing into 2026.

The most severely affected areas include:

Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province, particularly North Aceh, where many residents remained in emergency shelters months after the disaster; and
North Sumatra province, especially South Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, and Sibolga, which experienced significant damage and casualties.

Official reports indicate 1,207 fatalities and 138 missing persons, with more than 5,184 households displaced. In addition, over 301,012 houses were damaged, including 58,505 severely damaged, 66,785 moderately damaged, and 175,722 lightly damaged units. The disaster severely disrupted essential infrastructure, particularly water supply systems. As a result, surface water sources became widely contaminated, significantly reducing access to safe drinking water. These conditions pose urgent public health risks and present major challenges to community recovery and rehabilitation. Access to safe and reliable water is not only a fundamental human necessity but also a critical foundation for post-disaster resilience.

In response to these urgent challenges, IEEE Indonesia Section, in collaboration with IEEE Indonesia Chapters and local Student Branches, and supported by Universitas Syiah Kuala (in Aceh) and Universitas Sumatera Utar (in North Sumatera), implemented a Humanitarian and Community Engagement Program for disaster response. This program focuses on delivering engineering-driven, sustainable, and community-centered solutions to restore access to clean water and strengthen long-term resilience in affected communities.

Since early January 2026, the team has actively developed and prepared appropriate engineering solutions. These technologies were officially delivered and deployed to affected communities in Aceh and North Sumatra on January 31 – February 1, 2026, followed by continued technology transfer and hands-on assistance through the end of February.

This sustained engagement ensured that the deployed systems were effectively adopted, properly operated, and sustainably utilized by local communities, thereby supporting recovery efforts and strengthening long-term resilience.

The technologies delivered and implemented under this program include:

Aceh Tamiang (Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province)

2 units of deep bore wells (50 meters depth) deployed at two locations
These wells access stable aquifer layers beyond contaminated surface water, providing reliable, long-term, community-scale water supply.

Budget Allocation: Rp74,500,000 (USD 4,435)

Tapanuli Tengah (North Sumatra Province)

3 units of drilled wells (11–13 meters depth) deployed at three locations. These wells restore water access for educational institutions and community facilities.

Budget Allocation: Rp22,500,000 (USD 1,339)

Langkat (North Sumatra Province)

2 units of ultrafiltration (UF) water pump systems deployed at two locations. These systems utilize 01-micron membrane filtration to convert contaminated water into safe, consumable water, with green energy through solar panels, with efficient energy consumption suitable for community-scale use.

Budget Allocation: Rp15,000,000 (USD 893)

Fundraising and Collaboration

A coordinated fundraising initiative successfully mobilized a total of IDR 113,000,000 (USD 6,726), consisting of:

IEEE Indonesia Section: IDR 45,000,000 (USD 2,679)
• IEEE Indonesia Chapters: IDR 68,000,000 (USD 4,048)

The contributions from IEEE Indonesia Chapters were collectively supported by:

Communication Society Chapter
Circuits and Systems Society Chapter
Microwave Theory and Techniques / Antennas and Propagation Joint Chapter
Instrumentation and Measurement / Information Theory Joint Chapter
Vehicular Technology / Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Chapter
Power and Energy Society Chapter
Aerospace and Electronic Systems / Geoscience and Remote Sensing Joint Chapter
Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Chapter
Consumer Technology Society Indonesia Chapter
Electron Devices Society Chapter
Control Systems Society / Robotics and Automation Society Joint Chapter

This strong Section–Chapter collaboration demonstrates exceptional institutional synergy, shared leadership, and a unified commitment within IEEE Indonesia Section to deliver impactful and sustainable humanitarian engineering solutions.

The program was further strengthened through strategic academic partnerships:

Universitas Sumatera Utara (Medan, North Sumatra)
Universitas Syiah Kuala (Banda Aceh, Aceh)

These institutions played a critical role in local coordination, facilitation, and on-the-ground implementation, significantly contributing to the successful execution of the program.

This initiative embodies IEEE’s mission of “Advancing Technology for Humanity,” translating professional expertise into tangible societal impacts:

Immediate and sustainable access to clean water.
Significant reduction in health risks from contaminated water sources.
Restoration of essential services in schools and community facilities.
Strengthened resilience against future disasters.
Demonstration of scalable, engineering-based humanitarian solutions.
Strengthen Section-Chapters collaboration within IEEE Indonesia.

Documentation:

Figure 1. Severe disaster conditions

Nangroe Aceh Darussalam Province
- Location: Aceh Tamiang

Deployment of two 50-meter deep bore wells at two locations in Aceh Tamiang to restore access to clean water, supporting community needs and mosque activities while strengthening post-disaster resilience.

Figure 2. Deployment of two deep bore wells (50 meters depth), integrated with an elevated water storage system in Aceh Tamiang.

Figure 3. IEEE Indonesia volunteers together with local community representatives in Aceh Tamiang, during the implementation of the clean water infrastructure program.

North Sumatra Province
- Location #1: Central Tapanuli

Deployment of three bore wells, including complete well piping systems and the installation of two water storage tanks, in Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra. This intervention was designed to restore and enhance sustainable access to clean water for educational institutions and surrounding communities affected by the disaster. Deployment locations:

Location #1: SMK Negeri 1 Badiri
Location #2: Masjid Taqwa Muhammadiyah, Sorkam Barat
Location #3: TK Amanah Samaeri

These installations provide reliable water access, supporting daily activities, sanitation, and community resilience in the post-disaster recovery phase.

Figure 4. Deployment of three bore wells (11-13 meters depth), integrated with an elevated water storage system to ensure reliable and sustainable clean water distribution in Aceh Tamiang.

Langkat

Deployment of two units of household-scale clean water treatment systems and installed at two locations in Dusun 7, Desa Cempa, Kecamatan Hinai, Langkat, North Sumatera. The systems utilize UF HAMSA 1000 LPH ultrafiltration units, integrated with 520-liter water storage tanks, to effectively treat contaminated water and provide safe, potable water for local communities. This intervention ensures reliable daily access to clean water, supporting household consumption, sanitation needs, and overall public health improvement in the post-disaster context.

Figure 5. Deployment of two units of ultrafiltration (UF) water pump systems in Langkat.

Figure 6. IEEE Indonesia volunteers together with local community representatives in Langkat, during the implementation of the clean water purification program.