Aceh – Indonesia, Forum Bangun Aceh (FBA) is once again stepping up to strengthen disaster mitigation for communities in Aceh Besar Regency.

This time, mitigation capacity building was conducted through a Workshop on Village Disaster Risk Assessment and Contingency Plan Formulation under the theme “Towards a Disability-Inclusive and Disaster-Resilient Aceh Besar.”

The educational workshop was held at the Meinhem Hotel, SMK 3 Banda Aceh, Lhong Raya, on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

The event was opened by the Chief Executive (Kalak) of the Aceh Besar Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Ridwan Jamil, S.Sos., M.Si., and attended by dozens of participants from several villages in Lhoknga and Simpang Tiga Sub-districts.

The attendees included representatives from village officials and the community, including persons with disabilities, from Lampaya and Meunasah Baro Lamlhom villages in Lhoknga Sub-district, as well as Bha Ulee Tutu village in Simpang Tiga Sub-district.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of FBA, Dr. Ir. Syaifullah Muhammad, ST, M.Eng., stated that FBA continuously strives to deliver beneficial programs that directly address community interests, both through empowerment and education, such as today’s disaster mitigation training.

Syaifullah expressed his hope that the people of Aceh become increasingly knowledgeable in facing various types of natural disasters.

According to him, communities living in disaster-prone areas inherently possess local wisdom passed down through generations. However, modern mitigation measures must also be reinforced so that residents are better prepared for any potential disaster.

He emphasized that disaster mitigation knowledge must be consistently shared so the public remains prepared when disasters strike.

Through this workshop, Syaifullah hopes that the people of Aceh Besar gain optimal disaster mitigation knowledge to protect themselves from hazards that could occur at any time.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of BPBD Aceh Besar, Ridwan Jamil, expressed his appreciation for FBA’s ongoing initiatives to build community resilience in Aceh Besar, covering economic empowerment, education, and disaster mitigation issues.

“Community education and empowerment efforts are not the sole responsibility of the government, but a collective responsibility. As demonstrated by FBA today, building community resilience is a shared duty,” he stated.

Ridwan hopes that FBA will conduct more empowerment and educational programs for the people of Aceh Besar in the future. He stressed that the Aceh Besar Regency Government always involves all stakeholders, including disability groups, in policy-making processes.

“Hopefully, in the future, more volunteers and social workers will step up to work directly in the villages to educate and prepare the public, just as FBA has done, keeping local communities safe from danger,” he concluded.

On that occasion, in addition to the mitigation sessions delivered by the Forum Bangun Aceh (FBA) NGO, the Chief Executive of BPBD Aceh Besar, Ridwan Jamil, also served as one of the keynote speakers.

For context, FBA has a long history of addressing disaster management issues in Aceh. A few weeks ago, FBA, together with the Aceh Besar Regency Government, held a Policy Mapping Workshop themed “Towards a Disability-Inclusive and Disaster-Resilient Aceh Besar.”

The event, which took place at The Pade Hotel on Thursday (September 10, 2026), was officially opened by the Vice Regent of Aceh Besar, Drs. Syukri A. Jalil, and attended by several officials from relevant agencies within the Aceh Besar Regency Government.

During that event, Syaifullah Muhammad, as Executive Director of FBA, stated that although FBA’s activities currently focus more on community empowerment, economy, and education, disaster issues remain a vital component of all FBA programs.

FBA has been operating in Aceh since 2005, focusing on education and community empowerment. Since 2017, disability inclusion has been a key target area in development projects implemented by FBA.

In carrying out its programs in Aceh, FBA collaborates with CBM Global, supported by funding from Australian Aid through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). Aceh Besar Regency serves as one of FBA’s main operational areas.

For the 2025–2028 period, FBA is implementing three main joint project components in Aceh Besar. This project focuses on two sub-districts: Lhoknga and Simpang Tiga.[]