The integration of local stilt house architecture in natural disaster mitigation education in South Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

The areas of Sumatra are multidisaster-prone zones, especially to floods and earthquakes. However, these regions also preserve local wisdom, particularly through stilt house architecture, which serves as a community-based adaptive strategy. This study aims to explore the function of local stilt houses as a form of disaster mitigation and assess the younger generation’s knowledge regarding the functional and philosophical aspects of stilt houses, as well as their potential for integration into disaster education. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving in-depth observations and interviews with community figures, along with the distribution of questionnaires to 158 students across South Sumatra. The study findings show that traditional stilt houses not only withstand flood and earthquake risks but also reflect socio-cultural, spiritual and environmental sustainability values. Their structural designs, use of local materials, house orientation and tiered-room concept serve as clear representations of ethnoscience in local architectural practice. The questionnaire results indicate that the majority of the younger generation possesses moderate to high understanding of the social and functional aspects of stilt houses but lacks sufficient knowledge of their symbolic and technical dimensions. These findings highlight the importance of integrating local knowledge into disaster education curricula to strengthen community resilience from an early age and preserve proven cultural adaptations to disaster risk.
Contribution: This article contributes to disaster risk reduction efforts by integrating the local wisdom of stilt house architecture into science education. It promotes a culturally grounded approach to flood and earthquake mitigation through the use of ethnoscience in educational contexts.