Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JAKARTA2121
2008-11-18 01:45:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

INDONESIAN TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM LAUNCHED

Tags:  TPSL AEMR TPHY KSCA ECON PREL ID 
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VZCZCXRO3161
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #2121 3230145
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180145Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0710
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3299
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2736
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS JAKARTA 002121 


SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS
DEPT FOR OES/FO, OES/IET/ETC/OA/EGC
DEPT ALSO PASS TO DEPT OF INTERIOR/USGS
DEPT ALSO PASS TO DEPT OF COMMERCE/NOAA

TAGS: TPSL AEMR TPHY KSCA ECON PREL ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIAN TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM LAUNCHED
UNCLAS JAKARTA 002121


SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS
DEPT FOR OES/FO, OES/IET/ETC/OA/EGC
DEPT ALSO PASS TO DEPT OF INTERIOR/USGS
DEPT ALSO PASS TO DEPT OF COMMERCE/NOAA

TAGS: TPSL AEMR TPHY KSCA ECON PREL ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIAN TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM LAUNCHED

1.(U) President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched the Indonesian
Tsunami Warning System on November 11 at a ceremony in Jakarta.
President Yudhoyono noted that Indonesia developed the USD 133
million system with help from Germany, China, Japan, France and the
United States. During his remarks, President Yudhoyono noted that
the technology of a tsunami warning system cannot be effective
without a community "culture" of preparedness and response and asked
local authorities to conduct tsunami evacuation drills and other
preparedness activities to complement the Indonesian Tsunami Early
Warning System (Ina-TEWS) detection and warning technology.


2. (U) The Government of Indonesia has concentrated first on at-risk
areas (Aceh, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Banten and Bali) in developing
Ina-TEWS. A series of national drills on the Indian Ocean Tsunami
anniversary has raised awareness, tested system components, and
promoted community preparedness in Indonesia. As of October 2008,
the system is comprised of 116 broadband seismometers, 45 tidal
gauges, and three buoys. Three more buoys are stored in the Port of
Jakarta and are awaiting installation. The government initially
planned to operate 160 broadband seismometers, 500 accelerographs,
40 GPS units, 80 tidal gauges and 23 buoys, but lacks sufficient
funding to meet all requirements.


3. (U) The U.S. donated a Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of
Tsunamis (DART) tsunameter under the U.S. Indian Ocean Tsunami
Warning Program in September 2007. Under a 2006 United States and
Indonesia agreement for scientific and technological cooperation on
natural hazards assessment, analysis, warnings, preparedness and
mitigation, the United States also provided $1 million toward the
development of the Indonesian tsunami warning system which included
the donation of a Deep-Ocean Assessment Reporting tsunameter (DART),
technical assistance and capacity building. The NOAA DART tsunameter
was deployed off the coast of Bali.


4. (U) Vandalism (both purposeful and accidental damage) to tsunami
detection equipment has emerged as a serious problem throughout the
Indian Ocean region. All of the tsunameters Indonesia has deployed
have been vandalized, including the two DART tsunameter systems the
U.S. donated. India has reported the loss of at least six of nine
deployed tsunameters. These problems are typical of moored
instruments in tropical waters. At Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission meetings during the week of November 9 in Bali, a main
topic was countering vandalism through education; new, less visible
technologies; and other measures.

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