LOCAL Knowledge
In Simeulue, one of many territories in Indonesia’s Aceh province, fewer than 10 people were killed in the Boxing Day wave.  ,
Visitors told CNA that centuries of intelligence have helped to reduce the island’s death toll. This comes after Simeulue experienced a significant earthquake and tsunami in 1907, which claimed the lives of thousands of its residents.
Karina Purwanti, a native of Simeulue, was 15 times old when the storm ravaged her hometown.
We wanted to see when the ocean receded because there were plenty of fish in front of the property right next to the water. Therefore, according to the instructor at Sinabung Senior High School 1, my aunt warned us against going there.
” Typically, there will be’ smong’ (tsunami in the Devayan speech ), and there will be great waves. After that, we were led back to the house’s base rock. When we climbed away, we saw the water levels increase three days”, she recounted.
Mohammad Riswan Roesli, a historical activist from Simeulue, claimed that local wisdom on floods has saved lives.  ,
Riswan, who writing and songs pass this custom down to the younger generation, believes a more conscious effort is required to ensure local understanding is not forgotten.
According to him,” the government must develop a policy to make for local wisdom a formal component of the curriculum.”  ,