The city of Manado, situated in the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia, is a vibrant hub for international tourism. Thousands of visitors flock to this provincial capital city with an interest in hiking the lush trails of Bunaken National Park or snorkeling in the colorful coral reefs of the Celebes Sea. However, underneath its picturesque surface, Manado is facing a consistent, colossal adversary that threatens both its tourism industry and its citizens: torrential seasonal flooding. With rapid urbanization, land reclamation in the coastal areas, and population growth, the city is experiencing increasing risks from coastal and riverine flooding. Climate change and sea-level rise have worsened the flooding situation in the city as they have altered the amount of precipitation affecting the water levels of the Tondano River (Manado River) and facilitating more high-tide floods. This looming hazard demands urgent attention and adaptation from the citizens of this coastal city.

While Indonesia has always faced seasonal flooding through the rainy months of November to March, over the past few decades extreme weather events throughout the country have both intensified and occurred more frequently. Some experts believe this shift may be attributed to consistent rising temperatures in Indonesia since 1989, as warmer air allows for a higher potential of moisture and therefore a higher possibility for extreme weather events.

The city of Manado has identified flooding as the highest priority issue for their community. The flooding has proved disastrous for the city’s residents, making the need for a viable, real-time warning system more necessary than ever. With this system, communities gain more time for effective preparation and evacuation in high-risk zones.

Manado State Polytechnic Students Launch Â鶹ÊÓƵ Project To Devise A New Flood Early Warning System for the City of Manado, Indonesia

Local university students from Politeknik Negeri Manado (Manado State Polytechnic), in partnership with the city of Manado, embarked upon disaster mitigation efforts by turning a flood warning system into reality. These students, from diverse disciplines, were united in their mission to create a city resilient to major environmental events.

The team started their project by surveying the city and locating critical flooding areas to implement the systems in. The early warning systems utilize conductive pads to measure water conductivity and the rate at which water is rising, transmitting that information to a server in the institute’s Command Center that visualizes the data to determine whether significant flooding is imminent.

After their efforts, four systems were successfully installed across different city locations. While these efforts were both successful and impactful, much work remains to be done to mitigate flood damage to the city’s residents and economy. The city is currently holding meetings to determine the necessary steps for implementing protocols once the flood warning systems are triggered—such as who makes decisions, when they are made, and who carries them out.

Additionally, Manado State Polytechnic is expanding its curriculum in climate adaptation by offering project-based learning classes like Sustainable Infrastructure and Mapping Potential Natural Hazards. In 2023, Electrical Engineering students from Manado State Polytechnic developed a . The system uses alerts and mobile notifications to warn of rising water levels. Inspired by flooding during their internship in Ternate Tanjung, it was handed over to the Manado City Disaster Management Agency to aid in timely evacuations. ()

This project has been completed.

Partnership Contact Information

City of Manado Contact

Mareyke Alelo
Politeknik Negeri Manado
ikealelo1964@gmail.com

Brury Bangun
Sub Department Head
Manado City Local Government
brurybanget@gmail.com

Written by: Alice Murphy
Edited by: Anthony Socci and Kay Phanthuwongpakdee

Lusaka already has a history of using the Â鶹ÊÓƵ model on a smaller scale as the city signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Zambia to institutionalize the Â鶹ÊÓƵ model in Lusaka. For the past four years, the model has been implemented on a small scale and has resulted in significant gains for the city. Currently, the City Council of Lusaka and the University of Zambia are looking to expand the Â鶹ÊÓƵ model to create city-wide positive change to locally relevant issues such as climate change adaptation, waste management, and urban planning. This project will look to begin in August of 2023 and end by August 2024. 

In taking steps to expand the model, the City hopes to build capacity among all Â鶹ÊÓƵ model actors in Lusaka through training, sensitization, and community engagement so that skills are created for upscaling deployment of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ model in Lusaka. The City would also like to collaborate with other entities to identify community development interventions that are in line with the principles of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ model and make investments to support urban climate adaptation, social and gender inclusion in city development plans, and support learning and innovation at a community level. Finally, the city would also like to undertake capacity development actions that look to build sustainability in all future Â鶹ÊÓƵ interventions in Lusaka through expanded partnerships for Â鶹ÊÓƵ innovations. 

In support of the goals, the project will look to sensitize at least 20 Departments at the University of Zambia to adopt the Â鶹ÊÓƵ model in teaching and research. To increase the application of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ model and principles in the community, the project will increase the capacity of all nine Departments at the Lusaka City Council. This research will work to accelerate the implementation and expansion of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ model by expanding the agreement to build sustainability. Over 500 students are planned to be involved in the Â鶹ÊÓƵ model beginning with graduate courses in Economics, Geography, Urban Planning, Development Studies, Environmental Management, Public Health, Geomatics, GIS, Environmental Education, Civil Engineering, and Education. 

There will be many actors involved throughout this project to meet as many goals as possible. The project will be implemented as a collaboration between the Lusaka City Council, the University of Zambia, and selected communities with each party holding a very specific role in the project. For instance, the Lusaka City Council will provide a specific policy framework for community interventions to take place. Communities will anchor and support all activities in the collaboration while the University of Zambia will provide the students and research capacity needed to expand the Epic model in the city. Members of the community will also take the lead in identifying key problems in the communities and in respective wards. Community members will be represented within each project by community leaders, Community-Based Organizations, Ward Development Committees, and residents. 

The University of Zambia will undertake capacity development activities to increase capacity on Â鶹ÊÓƵ model implementation and raise awareness among the MoU actors. This includes training for students, Course conveners, Deans of Schools, and Heads of Departments at the University of Zambia and the Lusaka City Council. In terms of providing knowledge, university students will provide time and a technical understanding of selected topics and community members will supply time and local knowledge. Students will also take time to engage with communities to define priority interventions through the Â鶹ÊÓƵ model. 

Through this research, the relationship between communities, the Lusaka City Council, and the University of Zambia will be strengthened. There will additionally, be  improved community service and a better understanding of development actions in communities particularly those focused on strengthening climate resilience in flood-prone areas, aligning with SDG 13. This Â鶹ÊÓƵ project will bring improved governance and civic awareness in communities where Â鶹ÊÓƵ projects will take place and see increased accountability from all parties involved in community development in Lusaka.  

This project is ongoing and will be finished in 2024.

Pedestrianconnectivity solutions will be suggested from the 22ndStreet Transit Center, through the Educational Park/Kimball School, to Kimball Park of National City Blvd. and 16thSt. The National City Library, The National City Recreational Services and Kimball Park are located within the area on E 12thand 16thSt. between National City Blvd. & D Ave. and approximately 1-2 miles away from Kimball School.

The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103

University Faculty Contact
Jim Haughey
Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

Local Government / Community Contact

Engineering Division