Govt prioritizes warning system<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government will soon set up a national early warning system
\nthat would help minimize fatalities and injuries in the event of
\na natural disaster, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Friday.<\/p>\n
He said that the offices of the State Minister of Research and
\nTechnology and the Ministry of Communications and Information
\nwould have worked out the basics of the system by next week, and
\nit would be put in place next month.<\/p>\n
The system would utilize the technology owned by the
\nMeteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) for detection purposes,
\nand alert the public via police stations of any natural disaster,
\nsuch as an earthquake or flood.<\/p>\n
The plan to set up an early warning system for natural
\ndisasters was largely brought about by the devastating tsunami on
\nDec. 26 and the recent huge earthquake in Sumatra, which is
\nfeared to have killed more than 1,000 people on Nias Island and
\nin neighboring areas.<\/p>\n
Analysts have issued warnings of more quakes to come.<\/p>\n
They said the Dec. 26 earthquake set off a domino effect of
\nseismic instability that could last decades and kill thousands.<\/p>\n
Seismologists are already sure that Monday's magnitude-8.7
\nquake off Sumatra island was the direct result of raised stress
\nlevels in the earth's crust caused by the Dec. 26 tremor.
\nAnd they say there is now a heightened risk of further large
\nquakes -- not just aftershocks -- in the area, although
\npredicting them accurately remains impossible, AFP reported.<\/p>\n
Last month, the government of Indonesia signed an agreement
\nwith Germany to set up a tsunami early warning system in October.<\/p>\n
Separately, Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi announced that
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered the
\nNational Disaster Management and Refugee Coordination Board
\n(Bakornas PBP), BMG and the Ministry of Home Affairs to establish
\nnatural disaster management task forces.<\/p>\n
\"The President has instructed Bakornas to set up task forces
\nfor emergency response in areas prone to natural disaster,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The task forces would consist of government institutions such
\nas the police, BMG, state-owned electricity company (PLN) and
\nregional administrations.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf said he had issued a
\nministerial instruction on natural disaster mitigation for
\nregional administrations.<\/p>\n
\"I issued it yesterday, but it highlighted general issues. I
\nwill provide more detailed instructions today (Friday),\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-prioritizes-warning-system-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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