International Collaboration: UIN Bukittinggi and UKM Assist Malalo Residents in Post-Disaster Recovery
Joining forces across borders, UIN Bukittinggi and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia have deployed a team of experts to Nagari Guguak Malalo in West Sumatra to engineer a sustainable framework for post-disaster recovery.
TANAH DATAR, WEST SUMATRA, INDONESIA — The flash floods and landslides that struck Nagari Guguak Malalo in Batipuh Selatan Subdistrict, Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, left behind not only material devastation but also the threat of a long-term socio-economic crisis. In response, Universiti Islam Negeri (UIN) Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi teamed up with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) to hold an international community service program from September 16–17, 2026.
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| Nagari Guguak Malalo, set against the breathtaking backdrop of Lake Singkarak. |
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| Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azima binti Abdul Manaf of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia presents her research on post-disaster land mapping to the community of Guguak Malalo in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra. |
During a discussion moderated by Dr. Irwandi, Head of the International Relations Center at UIN Bukittinggi, Tanah Datar Baznas (Tanah Datar’s National Board of Zakat ) Chairman Dr. Yasmansah emphasized the importance of mental resilience in weathering a disaster. According to Yasmansah, out of 14 subdistricts in Tanah Datar, Guguak Malalo suffered some of the most severe psychological and physical impacts.
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| Dr. Yasmansyah, head of Tanah Datar’s National Board of Zakat (BAZNAS), discusses the vital role of religion in post-disaster healing during a local session. |
"Disasters do not only rob people of property and lives; they also trigger anxieties about the sustainability of the next generation of Malalo over the next decade due to destroyed economic assets," Yasmansah said.
Citing values from Surah At-Taghabun verse 11, he reminded attendees that every calamity occurs with God’s permission, and that faith serves as the primary foundation preventing human despair. Religion calls upon communities to foster social solidarity through mutual cooperation (gotong royong), preserve mutual dignity, and channel tangible aid via zakat, infaq, and alms (ZIS). As a concrete measure, Tanah Datar Baznas has distributed educational scholarships to affected children in Nagari Guguak Malalo.
From a spatial planning and economic recovery perspective, Associate Professor Dr. Azima binti Abdul Manaf from UKM’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities highlighted the importance of land mapping. She asserted that disasters must not extinguish hope, as new opportunities can always be explored.
Productive vs. Degraded Land: Communities require guidance to identify which lands remain productive and which are degraded.
Alternative Uses: Productive plots should be re-optimized, while non-productive plots can be strategically repurposed—such as for homestays or new business units—given Malalo's strong potential as a tourism village.
Technical Interventions: Agricultural areas buried under gravel require technical intervention before they can be reused.
This land potential mapping plan was welcomed by the local administration of Nagari Guguak Malalo. Representing the Wali Nagari (Village Head), Head of Jorong Yunarman stated that academic guidance in land mapping is crucial for residents to restart their paralyzed livelihoods.
Beyond psychosocial and spatial aspects, the team focused on restoring agricultural soil quality contaminated by chemical deposits or damaged by debris. UIN Bukittinggi lecturer and eco-theology advocate Ali Rahman, M.H., introduced the Herdanic organic fertilizer formula to local farmers.
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| UIN Bukittinggi lecturer (right) Ali Rahman, M.H., introduced the Herdanic organic fertilizer formula to local farmers. |
According to Ali Rahman, the bio-based fertilizer effectively restores damaged soil nutrients, neutralizes acidity (pH levels) caused by disaster sediment, and accelerates soil microorganism recovery without relying on synthetic chemicals.
UIN Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi Rector Prof. Dr. Silfia Hanani stressed that higher education institutions carry a moral responsibility to step forward during humanitarian crises.
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| Prof. Dr. Silfia Hanani, UIN Bukittinggi Rector |
"This international collaborative service is a real manifestation of academic study translated into social action. UIN Bukittinggi is committed to providing more than just temporary emergency relief; we are formulating sustainable recovery frameworks for the community," Silfia stated.
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Muhiddinur Kamal, Head of UIN Bukittinggi's Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM), through Center for Community Service Head Dr. Januar, noted that this cross-border collaboration model will serve as a framework for applied research-based disaster assistance.
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| Dr. Januar, head of the Center for Community Service at UIN Bukittinggi, outlines the concept of international collaborative community service. |
LPPM assured that the mentoring outcomes—ranging from UKM's land mapping to the Herdanic organic fertilizer formula—will be continuously monitored until the economic and agricultural ecosystem of Nagari Guguak Malalo fully recovers and achieves self-sufficiency. (irwandi)
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