Protecting RI's coastline

In terms of protecting the coastline of Indonesia from tsunami tragedies such as that which devastated Aceh, one must realize that the entire West Sumatran coast, along with southern Java, Bali, Lombok and West Nusa Tenggara plus Flores and East Nusa Tenggara, Timor and northern coast of Papua could all be prone to such calamities in the future.

This is because all of these areas are bound by major crustal subduction zones. In total we are talking about a coastal fringe of some 4,000-5,000 kilometers. It will be no easy task to protect these areas, however as we have seen by the horrific benchmark set by this natural disaster, we have a responsibility to put a system in place that will protect future generations of Indonesians and foreigners who either visit or live in this country.

I have spent more than eight years working as a geologist in this beautiful country and based on my experience throughout the archipelago from Sumatra to Halmahera this country is centered on one of the most structurally (faults) and volcanically active regions in the world. I believe it would be necessary to set up seismographs (which monitor movement of the earth's crust) throughout the country, as well as regional centers to collate this data, which in turn would then be sent back for analysis at a National Research and Monitoring Center in Jakarta.

Although costly such an imitative would not only serve as a base for scientific research but ultimately one day save the lives of so many innocent people.

STEPHEN BARBER Jakarta