This blog post series, titled ‘Fostering collaborative geohazards research in Southeast Asia’, features different types of partnerships in geoscience research, and the factors behind their success. Through this series, we aim to show how collaboration drives research in the region, heightens impact on the ground, and bolsters the resilience of societies.
The first post honoured the breadth of collaboration between local researchers, local community members and EOS researchers that enables the collection of tectonic data to study the Mentawai Seismic Gap. In this second blog post, the author recounts first-hand observations of the Centre for Geohazard Observations (CGO) field team’s deep engagement with the local communities, allowing for the successful installation of a new station in Siberut Island, Indonesia.
In preparation for the Siberut trip to install new Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensors for earthquake research, I steeled myself for bumpy boat rides, treks through jungle terrain, and toiling under the scorching sun. These are the various field situations that the CGO team encounters regularly in the field. And indeed, I encountered –– and documented with the EOS Community Engagement team –– all these scenarios and more. But other than the gruelling hours spent installing scientific instruments and servicing the stations, what took me by surprise was also how much time was spent paying visits to local villagers, sitting with them in the shade, chatting, and drinking kopi. This highlighted the deep commitment of the team to build trust with communities on the ground, for the mutual benefit of both parties. Indeed, this trust promotes the sustainability of the stations for data collection and research, while providing an educational opportunity for the local community.
For the CGO team, preparation for the September 2024 trip started months before our arrival. Following discussions between the scientists from the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) and Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN) and their decision to install new sensors across the island, Dr Juniator Tulius, a Research Fellow working with the EOS CGO, made a trip ahead of the rest of the team. He needed to identify suitable locations, and arrange with the local communities for permission to build a station on their lands. With the help of local contractors, Dr Tulius also began the construction of the concrete pillars that would eventually house the sensors.
Dr Juniator Tulius riding a local boat down a river canal (Source: Earth Observatory of Singapore)
Dr Tulius’ primary role during the field missions is akin to being the ‘fixer’, the person who specialises in making things happen and managing tasks in the field. This includes arranging for crucial logistics, translation, transportation, travel, food, and so on. As a trained anthropologist and Siberut local himself who speaks the local dialect, Dr Tulius is uniquely positioned to play this role of being the connective thread between the field team and the local Siberut community.
In September, the rest of the CGO team and collaborators from BRIN returned to complete the rest of the installation. The first new sensor would be installed in Tiop Village, which is about two hours from Muarasiberut port by boat.
We arrived at Tiop on Sunday morning and waited for the villagers to return to their homes after church service. Courtesy calls were a crucial step to follow through before any technical work could begin.
Our first stop was the village head’s house, where Dr Tulius went over official documents co-written by EOS, BRIN, and local authorities explaining the purpose of our visit (Source: Earth Observatory of Singapore)
Dr. Tulius engaged with different key stakeholders, including the head of the village, and the headmistress of the local school where we were planning to install the sensor. Each time, he repeated the purpose of our travel to the village and emphasised the overall goal of understanding and raising awareness about earthquake and tsunami hazards.
Beyond that, he also enquired about their lives: how are things in the village? What are some concerns they have? What are some plans they have for the future? Dr Tulius extended genuine effort and time connecting with each individual.
Dr Tulius paying visits to different villagers’ houses in Tiop Village, where he shared about the new GNSS station installation using visual aids like printed posters (Source: Earth Observatory of Singapore)
The conclusion of the house visits marked the tacit sign that the technical team could begin their work. And they kicked into gear shortly after that. Dr Iwan Hermawan from EOS was joined by the late Dr Susilo and Dr Deasy Arisa from BRIN, and local technicians Mr Hafidz Ali and Mr Andreas Seppungan. Together, they worked to install a new GNSS sensor next to the local school. Even to the untrained eye, they looked to be a seamless unit: whilst one would be wielding a power tool, another would be holding up another crucial piece of equipment, and yet another would step back to supervise and give verbal instructions. From the way that they transitioned between tasks and worked together tirelessly for hours, it was clear that they had spent countless hours operating in the field together.
Dr Iwan Hermawan from CGO (left) and local technician Mr Hafidz Ali (right) working on the GNSS station while a group of children observe them from afar (Source: Earth Observatory of Singapore)
Meanwhile, Dr Tulius with a small circle of villagers settled into a corner. A villager brought out a jug of sweetened coffee, which got passed into the hands of myself and the other Community Engagement members. Together, we sat on the ground sipping coffee. In this subtle way, the local community got drawn into observing what was happening on their own local grounds.
For most of the day, Dr Tulius alternated between helping the technical team with their work and engaging with the local community members, acting as the social grease between the groups. By the day’s end, with the sun starting to creep into the hills, the team was able to successfully mount the instruments on the concrete pillar and install the GNSS receiver.
But the engagement work did not end there. Several days later, the team returned to finalise the installation, and Dr Tulius distributed posters to the school children whose school grounds now overlook the new GNSS station.
(Left) Dr Tulius distributing posters to local school children (Source: Earth Observatory of Singapore)
(Right) Designed by the Community Engagement team, these posters explained the function of the GNSS stations, and the purpose behind installing such sensors. The posters were translated into Bahasa Indonesia (Source: Earth Observatory of Singapore)
While this features just one occasion of conducting outreach with the local community, I hoped to illustrate the deep relational work that happens in the background to the more technical aspects of the research. This piece serves as a reminder that working and building trust with local stakeholders is not only necessary in ensuring the smooth collection of data, but also to ensure the research serves the local communities. I hope that this emphasises the importance of proactively reaching out to ensure they are engaged, and uplifted, by the process.
This research contributes to the programme 'Integrating Volcano and Earthquake Science and Technology' and is supported by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, under its MOE AcRF Tier 3 Award MOET32021-0002.
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We are saddened by the loss of Dr Susilo, a close collaborator and cherished friend to many EOS staff, who passed away between the fieldwork in 2024 and the writing of this article. His invaluable contributions and commitment to geoscience research will be remembered by the geoscience community and all who had the privilege of working with him. His legacy will inspire and guide us, as we continue on with the work.