Following the technical meeting, the five teams began the core activities with a two-day field visit to Pekalongan City. Upon arriving on 16th December, they headed straight to the case study location in Krapyak Subdistrict. The visit offered participants a firsthand understanding of the site’s conditions through field observations, interactions with affected locals, and the collection of insights to craft well-targeted solutions.
This visit was accompanied by representatives from Pekalongan City’s Agriculture and Food Agency, agricultural extension workers, and local farmers. Lili Sulistyawati, SPi., MSi., the Head of the Agriculture and Food Agency, opened the session with welcoming remarks to the IPB University students and The Water Agency team. Shortly after, the teams explored the site and interviewed locals to gather insights for their solutions.
The second day was equally engaging. The 20 participants visited the Agriculture and Food Agency’s office to join a sharing session with many of the same attendees from the first day. Through a presentation by Mr. Lazim, one of the extension workers, the participants learned about the step-by-step process behind the agency’s recent work in revitalising idle land in the case study location.
In addition to insights from government representatives, Mercy Corps Indonesia—an NGO actively working in Central Java, including Pekalongan—led the following local experts sharing session. Arif Ganda Purnama shared the organisation’s experience with “Climate Adaptation” projects in Pekalongan and other regions facing similar agricultural challenges, offering the participants practical knowledge on best practices and lessons learned.
Though brief, the two-day visit was packed with meaningful experiences. The participants gained valuable real-world engagement, deepening their understanding of Pekalongan’s agricultural challenges while equipping themselves with the knowledge and inspiration to design impactful solutions once they were back in IPB.
