Posted 20 July 2006 @ 15:11
JAKARTA, 20 July 2006 - Indonesia will prioritize the southern waters off Java and Bali islands when setting up tsunami early warning system, a minister said Thursday. Research and Technology Minister Kusmayanto Kadiman said the government would install the device on the basis of the density of population, the amount of assets and the vulnerability of the area from the possible disaster. "We put priority on southern sea off Java and Bali islands," Kusmayanto said.
Java island is the most populated area in Indonesia and Bali island is the most favorable tourist destination in the country. Both of them have huge infrastructures. The authority would determine which areas of the islands were vulnerable to the quake, he said. Earlier, the minister had said Indonesia, a vast archipelago country, could not meet the need of 120 buoys installment along its vulnerable coastline, due to financial obstacle.
But he said the hindrance would vanish when the government makes a priority on the installment. "They (lawmakers) have asked the proposal for the plan," he said.
Currently, Indonesia has already installed three buoys at western waters off Sumatra following the 2004 tsunami hitting Aceh province, which killed more than 150,000 people. The minister was optimistic the compliance of the plan could be met within one year.
He said another option being considered was the possibility to integrate Indonesia's system with Japan's device, which Indonesia perceive as the best one now. "Now, I see Japan has the best capabilities on it. Japan Meteorological Agency can inform 13 minutes after the quake happen, " he said. "One alternative is that we cooperate with them (Japan). We only supply data to them."
Following Monday's tsunami triggered by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in the provinces of West Java, Cental Java and Yogyakarta many survivors desperately insist on having a warning system than can give them more chance to escape. Over 500 people were killed in the catastrophe and more than 100 others were still missing.
Earlier this week, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned of possible quakes in vulnerable zones in the south of the country, asking authorities to make preparations. Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, is laid on the quake-vulnerable zone, so called the Pacific ring of fire, which makes the country frequently hit by the quake.
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