Flood Early Warning System for the City of Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

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 EPIC 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 Flood Disaster Early Warning System for riverbank communities. 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. (Youtube)

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