Building Climate Awareness, Preparedness and Adaptation through Local Education Programmes at USM
In 2024, Universiti Sains Malaysia actively implemented a series of local education programmes and campaigns on climate change risks, impacts, mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning, through initiatives led by the Unit Pengurusan Bencana (UPB). These programmes focused on strengthening the community’s understanding of disaster preparedness and resilience in response to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change.
One of the key initiatives was the Basic Water Safety Course Series 2/2024, held on 11 June 2024 at the USM swimming pool. This programme aimed to educate participants on climate-related disaster preparedness, particularly flood response and water safety as part of climate change adaptation and risk mitigation strategies. The free course helped volunteers and university members build confidence and awareness in responding to emergencies during flood or storm-related disasters, aligning with climate impact reduction and early warning preparedness.
Another major outreach activity was USM’s participation in the ASEAN Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, held in Penang on 5 October 2024. The event, organized by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) in collaboration with UPB and regional partners, provided a platform for knowledge sharing on disaster management, tsunami preparedness, and the latest early warning technologies. Representatives from ASEAN countries, including Indonesia and Brunei, shared approaches to climate change-related disaster mitigation and adaptation through community-based risk assessment and awareness.
USM also promoted climate adaptation awareness during extreme heat conditions through the Free Flavoured Drink Distribution Campaign on 14 February 2024. This initiative provided hydration stations around campus to help the university community cope with the impacts of rising temperatures and heatwaves, while promoting awareness on climate-related health risks and adaptive responses.
In addition, on 20 September 2024, the UPB team carried out flood response and climate disaster outreach in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, to support staff and students affected by flash floods. This activity included the distribution of Kit Nurani emergency relief packs, financial assistance, and field engagement on flood preparedness, adaptation, and mitigation strategies. The initiative demonstrated USM’s strong commitment to fostering climate resilience and providing local education on impact reduction, adaptation, and early warning systems for communities vulnerable to climate-related hazards.
Through these local education programmes, USM continues to promote climate literacy and proactive community preparedness while embedding sustainability and resilience into its institutional and social responsibility framework. These initiatives directly support SDG 13 (Climate Action) by equipping local communities with the knowledge and capacity to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.
