Geospatial Firebreak Design Development through Project-Based Learning for Wildfire Mitigation Education in Bromo Vegetation

Nicholas Renaldo; Achmad Tavip Junaedi; Wilda Susanti; Suhardjo Suhardjo; Onny Setyawan; Jahrizal Jahrizal; Gusrio Tendra; Jaswar Koto; M. Dalil; Cecilia Cecilia

doi:10.61230/reflection.v4i2.162

Authors

Nicholas Renaldo Institut Bisnis dan Teknologi Pelita Indonesia, Indonesia
Achmad Tavip Junaedi Institut Bisnis dan Teknologi Pelita Indonesia, Indonesia
Wilda Susanti Institut Bisnis dan Teknologi Pelita Indonesia, Indonesia
Suhardjo Suhardjo Institut Bisnis dan Teknologi Pelita Indonesia, Indonesia
Onny Setyawan Institut Bisnis dan Teknologi Pelita Indonesia, Indonesia
Jahrizal Jahrizal Universitas Riau, Indonesia
Gusrio Tendra Institut Bisnis dan Teknologi Pelita Indonesia, Indonesia
Jaswar Koto Ocean and Aerospace Research Institute, Japan
M. Dalil Universitas Riau, Indonesia
Cecilia Cecilia East China Normal University, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61230/reflection.v4i2.162

Keywords:

Geographic Information Systems, Firebreak Design, Project-Based Learning, Wildfire Mitigation, Environmental Education, Spatial Thinking, Bromo Ecosystem, Disaster Mitigation

Abstract

Wildfires pose significant threats to ecosystem sustainability, biodiversity, tourism, and the resilience of protected landscapes. This study aimed to develop a geospatial technology-based firebreak design through Project-Based Learning (PjBL) for wildfire mitigation education in the Bromo vegetation ecosystem, East Java, Indonesia. The study employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach with a design-based research orientation. The research integrated Geographic Information Systems (GIS), vegetation analysis, slope analysis, accessibility assessment, historical wildfire information, and conservation considerations. A GIS-based weighted overlay model was used to identify potential firebreak planning areas. The geospatial design process was then integrated into a six-week PjBL activity involving undergraduate students. Students investigated wildfire risks, analyzed spatial data, developed firebreak design alternatives, and presented their project outputs. The educational outcomes were evaluated through spatial thinking assessments, environmental literacy questionnaires, project rubrics, and expert evaluation. The results indicated that the selected study area contained diverse vegetation and topographic characteristics requiring site-specific firebreak planning. Three conceptual firebreak alternatives were developed with different lengths, widths, spatial coverage, and environmental considerations. The learning evaluation showed improvements in students’ spatial thinking and environmental literacy, while project assessment indicated satisfactory disaster mitigation competencies. Expert evaluation also indicated that the developed framework had strong educational relevance and appropriate environmental considerations. The study concludes that the integration of GIS and PjBL can transform wildfire mitigation education into an authentic, interdisciplinary, and design-oriented learning experience. The proposed firebreak designs are preliminary planning outputs and require further field validation, fire behavior analysis, ecological assessment, and approval from relevant authorities before implementation.

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