Guest Lecture by Stephen Wong: The Role of Transportation Systems in Disaster Management
By Zeba Liqueiza Shakira Kudus - Mahasiswa Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota, 2022
Editor M. Naufal Hafizh, S.S.
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id – Indonesia is a country with highly prone to disasters. This vulnerability stems from its physical and environmental conditions, as it sits atop the convergence of several major tectonic plates and is traversed by the Pacific Ring of Fire in several regions. The country faces various potential disaster threats, ranging from natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and floods to man-made disasters.
As a country with abundant natural resources, a large population, and diverse socio-cultural conditions, Indonesia must implement effective disaster management strategies in every phase of the disaster cycle—mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery—in order to reduce vulnerability and disaster risk.
On Tuesday (May 20, 2025), the Urban and Regional Planning Study Program at ITB held a joint guest lecture class for undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in the courses Transportation Research Methodology, Environment, Energy, and Transportation, Disaster Risk Financing in Planning, Research Methodology, and Environment and Natural Resources.
The lecture, facilitated by course instructors Saut Aritua Hasiholan Sagala, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., and Dr. Eng. Puspita Dirgahayani, S.T., M.Eng., featured guest speaker Dr. Stephen Wong from the University of Alberta, a member of the Resilient and Sustainable Mobility and Evacuation (RESUME) Group.
Dr. Stephen Wong presented a lecture on the topic “Building Resilience in Transportation Systems.” His presentation highlighted general disaster concepts, disaster mitigation and management, as well as the critical role of transportation systems in disaster response.
He explained that transportation resilience refers to the ability or capacity of transportation systems, related infrastructure, and non-infrastructure components (such as social systems, economic systems, communities, and governments) to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and related disruptions.
In times of disaster, a well-functioning transportation system plays a vital role in effectively, efficiently, and safely relocating affected individuals to safer areas. Moreover, transportation systems contribute to disaster mitigation by responding to climate change through the development of resilient infrastructure. They also play a key role in disaster response and recovery by facilitating the delivery of logistics and essential supplies, and in the preparedness phase by identifying optimal routes and traffic flows for evacuation during emergencies.
There are at least four key elements that must be integrated to establish a resilient transportation system: infrastructure, operations, community, and logistics. These four components should be planned according to the characteristics of the population, region, and hazards present in disaster-prone areas, in order to develop a transportation system plan that addresses the needs across all four phases of the disaster cycle.
“Not everything in a plan will go as expected. But you have taken the time to understand potential hazards. You have learned how to respond. You know what decisions need to be made, what kind of communication structure exists, and how to manage the response team. That is the true value of an evacuation plan,” said Dr. Wong, emphasizing that disaster response planning is valuable even when disasters themselves are unpredictable.
Resilient transportation strategies can be developed from various perspectives: demand-side, supply-side, and information-side. Strategies from the demand-side include evacuation phasing and vehicle reduction; supply-side strategies involve contraflow, public transit, and emergency shoulder usage; while information-side strategies focus on rapid information delivery, route preparation, and system monitoring.
In addition to developing strategies from the three aforementioned perspectives, Dr. Wong also emphasized several other important approaches to strengthening resilient transportation systems. These include providing inclusive transportation systems for all individuals, developing infrastructure, planning for resilience hubs and resilient communities, and empowering stakeholders involved in the recovery process.
With proper planning and adjustments based on regional characteristics, a resilient transportation system can play a significant role as a strategic tool to enhance Indonesia’s capacity in facing disaster threats.
Reporter: Zeba Liqueiza Shakira Kudus (Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota, 2022)
Translator: Indira Akmalia Hendri (Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota, 2021)
