MEDAN – USU PR: The Academic Senate of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) organized a Deliberative Forum on the Determination of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Priorities in Sumatra on Monday (29/12). The activity, which was conducted online, was opened by the Vice Rector III of USU, Prof. Dr. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, S.Si., M.Si., Apt., and featured the Vice Rector V of USU, Prof. Dr. Ir. Luhut Sihombing, M.P., as the keynote discussant.

In her opening remarks, Prof. Poppy emphasized that the deliberative forum, attended by all leadership elements of the Academic Senate and the Board of Professors of USU along with their members, as well as the Heads of the Institute for Research and the Institute for Community Service, constituted a highly strategic, meaningful, and relevant initiative in responding to the disaster challenges currently being faced. The forum was expected to unify perspectives, share ideas, and formulate recommendations for follow-up efforts related to post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction priorities in Sumatra, which are hoped to accelerate the recovery process of affected areas.

“In this context, rehabilitation and reconstruction are not only interpreted as efforts to rebuild physical infrastructure, but also as processes of sustainable social, economic, environmental, and psychological recovery of communities. Therefore, this deliberative forum becomes a very important space to exchange ideas, synergize cross-disciplinary perspectives, and formulate strategic recommendations that are not only responsive to emergency conditions, but also visionary in building the future resilience of the Sumatra region,” stated Prof. Poppy.

She further expressed her hope that the recommendations produced through the forum would be followed up as references for policy formulation, community service programs, the development of disaster-related research, and the strengthening of the university’s role within the disaster management ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Vice Rector V of USU, Prof. Dr. Ir. Luhut Sihombing, M.P., who served as the keynote discussant, explained that the purpose of organizing the deliberative forum was to develop a policy paper related to post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction, as well as to share insights on what constitutes a disaster. He classified disasters into two types, namely slow-onset disasters and onset disasters, each of which has different triggering factors. While slow-onset disasters are caused by human actions, onset disasters are caused by natural and non-natural factors. Both types have similar impacts, resulting in loss of life, environmental damage, material losses, and psychological impacts, all of which can reduce national development.

During the forum, several inputs and proposals were also presented in the preparation of action plans and work programs for the rehabilitation process to be undertaken by Universitas Sumatera Utara. These included building emergency schools in affected areas and establishing a permanent disaster management unit so that response actions can be carried out over a longer period without time limitations. This approach was viewed as providing greater flexibility for the USU disaster response team to undertake various efforts in restoring the social, economic, and psychological conditions of the community.