INDONESIA - TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001171 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS AIDAC DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS, OES/FO AND OES/IET/ETC/OA/EGC DEPT PASS TO DEPT OF INTERIOR/USGS DEPT ALSO PASS TO DEPT OF COMMERCE/NOAA TAGS: TPSL AEMR TPHY KSCA ECON PREL ID SUBJECT: INDONESIA - TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM UPDATE ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Government of Indonesia (GOI) continues to make progress on developing an Indonesia Tsunami Warning System (ITWS). The Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) test launched an early warning buoy (tsunameter) on April 10, and the Ministry of Research and Technology (MENRISTEK) is identifying partners to help finance essential elements of the system. During the week of April 16, officials from the Australian Bureau of Meterology told a visiting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) official that Australia is interested in formally or informally cooperating with Indonesia and the United States with a focus on tsunami warning operations, technology exchange, and capacity building. End Summary. Indonesian Tsunameter Development and Deployment -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On April 10, BPPT under the direction of MENRISTEK launched Indonesia's first domestically produced tsunameter. Numerous press articles deemed the launch successful. On April 20, Ridwan Djamaluddin, a senior BPPT official, told us that BPPT briefly placed the tsunameter in the water, but did not fully deploy it because of equipment failure on the launch vessel. BPPT has rescheduled deployment for the week of 23 April. ¶3. (SBU) Indonesia's tsunameter draws from elements of the U.S. Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) II system, the German research and development design, and other tsunameter configurations. BPPT began development of the initial tsunameter in August 2006 and it is one of two research and development tsunameters of this configuration that BPPT plans to build. If BPPT SIPDIS proves the design is effective, the tsunameter will become part of the operational network. BPPT expects to build 4-5 more tsunameters to a new design for deployment by November 2007. Although BPPT management acknowledges this is an optimistic goal, the agency considers deployment of domestically produced tsunameters as important to the success of an Indonesian Tsunami Warning System that would also include U.S. and German technology. Indonesian TWS Funding Requirements -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Pariatmono, Assistant to the Deputy Minister for Analysis of Science and Technology confided in us on April 20 that MENRISTEK has already invested in approximately USD 40 million in GOI funds to develop the ITWS. The GOI estimates that the full ITWS system will likely cost USD 120 million or more. Pariatmono said GOI will seek additional funding partners through the international donor community. He added that, MENRISTEK, in its role as the overall TEWS architect, is also developing a concept to install cabled pressure sensors (such as those that are the core of the Japanese tsunami detection system) off Sumatra connected to an internet SIPDIS backbone that the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology is building primarily for commercial purposes. 5.(SBU) Pariatmono shared passages from a new agreement between Germany and Japan on how these governments will offer assistance to Indonesia in tsunami warning center decision support systems. The Germans are offering the decision support system as a key part under the German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System project. They designed the decision support system to integrate data from multiple sources and help GOI determine whether to issue a warning. Japan is also investing in this area. Australian Interest in Trilateral Cooperation -------------- - ¶6. (U) During the week of April 16, officials from the Australian Bureau of Meterology told a visiting NOAA official that Australia is interested in formal or informal trilateral cooperation with Indonesia and the United States focused on tsunami warning operations, technology exchange, and capacity building. Indonesia and Australia have a common interest in tsunameters deployed south of Java and Bali. The Australians are therefore committed to working closely with Indonesia to ensure that Australian Tsunami Warning System activities in that region are coordinated fully with the Indonesian system. ¶7. (U) As a matter of policy, Australia views the Australian Tsunami Warning System as consisting of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS),the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System, and its own tsunami warning system. Australia has a special interest in the success of the Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System as a significant component of the IOTWS. JAKARTA 00001171 002 OF 002 HEFFERN