Making Climate Science Accessible: Akhmad Faqih Strives to Raise Public Awareness
Three years after completing his Bachelor's degree in Agrometeorology at Institut Pertanian Bogor, Akhmad Faqih went straight on to pursue a PhD in Australia. In 2006, he began his PhD in Climatology at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ).
Faqih’s path to studying in Australia began when he took part in the Scientific Capacity Building/Enhancement for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries (CAPaBLE) project, funded by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN). Faqih was invited to visit UniSQ, which is also located in Toowoomba. In 2005, Faqih applied for the Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) and was successfully awarded the scholarship.
"At that point, I went straight into the PhD program, strongly encouraged and supported by Professor Ribbe and Professor Meinke (from CAPaBLE), who later became my supervisors," he added.
Developing Critical Thinking
Although it was his first time undertaking long-term studies overseas, Faqih felt there were no significant challenges in adapting to life as a PhD student in Australia. One thing that left a lasting impression on Faqih when he began his PhD was a message from his supervisor, which continues to encourage him to think critically and remain sceptical.
Faqih had the opportunity to attend several international conferences on meteorology, held in Beijing, Melbourne, and Adelaide, thanks to funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC).
"I even joined a training course on how to run CSIRO’s Global Climate Model Mk 3.5 and was granted access to their supercomputer at the University of Tasmania (UTAS)," he shared.
In the middle of his studies, in 2008, Faqih was also involved in a project led by Professor Rizaldi to develop the Fire Risk System (FRS). This system aimed to provide climate forecasts, rainfall predictions, and fire risk projections up to six months in advance. The data generated by FRS is now publicly accessible via http://www.kebakaranhutan.or.id.
Building a Climate-Resilient Society
While still completing his PhD studies, Faqih became involved with the Centre for Climate Risk and Opportunity Management in Southeast Asia Pacific (CCROM-SEAP) at IPB. One of the first major projects Faqih undertook was with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The study analysed the economic impacts of climate change on Pacific Island nations.
“I mainly focused on climate analysis and modelling to support seasonal predictions and long-term projections. We developed a tool called the Statistical Bias Correction for Climate Scenarios (SiBiaS) to help climatologists in Indonesia conduct climate projections more effectively,” he said.
In 2020, Faqih was actively involved in the Climate Resilient and Inclusive Cities (CRIC) project, led by the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC). As part of the project, he provided training on the use of SiBiaS to ten selected pilot cities across Indonesia.
Faqih continues to collaborated periodically with academics in Australia. Most recently, in 2023, Faqih collaborated with Professor John McCarthy from the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University (ANU) conducting research on vulnerability and climate change in the East Flores and Sikka districts of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Indonesia.
Facing Indonesia’s Climatology Challenges
This year, Faqih has been heavily involved in contributing to Indonesia’s Fourth National Communication, which is due to be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2026. Previously, he served as a lead author for Indonesia’s Third National Communication in 2017 and the Second National Communication in 2010. He also supported Timor Leste’s Initial National Communication in 2014.
“The skills I gained in climate modelling during my studies in Australia have played a key role in helping me prepare the reports we submit to the UNFCCC,” Faqih explained.
