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. HUME