VZCZCXRO7762
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1171/01 1160729
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260729Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4494
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0695
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0491
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS, OES/FO AND OES/IET/ETC/OA/EGC 
DEPT PASS TO DEPT OF INTERIOR/USGS 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO DEPT OF COMMERCE/NOAA 
 
TAGS: TPSL AEMR TPHY KSCA ECON PREL ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM UPDATE 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Government of Indonesia (GOI) continues to 
make progress on developing an Indonesia Tsunami Warning System 
(ITWS).  The Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology 
(BPPT) test launched an early warning buoy (tsunameter) on April 10, 
and the Ministry of Research and Technology (MENRISTEK) is 
identifying partners to help finance essential elements of the 
system.  During the week of April 16, officials from the Australian 
Bureau of Meterology told a visiting National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) official that Australia is 
interested in formally or informally cooperating with Indonesia and 
the United States with a focus on tsunami warning operations, 
technology exchange, and capacity building. End Summary. 
 
Indonesian Tsunameter Development and Deployment 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On April 10, BPPT under the direction of MENRISTEK launched 
Indonesia's first domestically produced tsunameter.  Numerous press 
articles deemed the launch successful. On April 20, Ridwan 
Djamaluddin, a senior BPPT official, told us that BPPT briefly 
placed the tsunameter in the water, but did not fully deploy it 
because of equipment failure on the launch vessel.  BPPT has 
rescheduled deployment for the week of 23 April. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Indonesia's tsunameter draws from elements of the U.S. Deep 
Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) II system, the 
German research and development design, and other tsunameter 
configurations.  BPPT began development of the initial tsunameter in 
August 2006 and it is one of two research and development 
tsunameters of this configuration that BPPT plans to build.  If BPPT 
 
SIPDIS 
proves the design is effective, the tsunameter will become part of 
the operational network. BPPT expects to build 4-5 more tsunameters 
to a new design for deployment by November 2007.  Although BPPT 
management acknowledges this is an optimistic goal, the agency 
considers deployment of domestically produced tsunameters as 
important to the success of an Indonesian Tsunami Warning System 
that would also include U.S. and German technology. 
 
Indonesian TWS Funding Requirements 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) Pariatmono, Assistant to the Deputy Minister for Analysis 
of Science and Technology confided in us on April 20 that MENRISTEK 
has already invested in approximately USD 40 million in GOI funds to 
develop the ITWS.  The GOI estimates that the full ITWS system will 
likely cost USD 120 million or more.  Pariatmono said GOI will seek 
additional funding partners through the international donor 
community.  He added that, MENRISTEK, in its role as the overall 
TEWS architect, is also developing a concept to install cabled 
pressure sensors (such as those that are the core of the Japanese 
tsunami detection system) off Sumatra connected to an internet 
 
SIPDIS 
backbone that the Ministry of Communication and Information 
Technology is building primarily for commercial purposes. 
 
5.(SBU) Pariatmono shared passages from a new agreement between 
Germany and Japan on how these governments will offer assistance to 
Indonesia in tsunami warning center decision support systems.  The 
Germans are offering the decision support system as a key part under 
the German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System project. They 
designed the decision support system to integrate data from multiple 
sources and help GOI determine whether to issue a warning.  Japan is 
also investing in this area. 
 
Australian Interest in Trilateral Cooperation 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6. (U) During the week of April 16, officials from the Australian 
Bureau of Meterology told a visiting NOAA official that Australia is 
interested in formal or informal trilateral cooperation with 
Indonesia and the United States focused on tsunami warning 
operations, technology exchange, and capacity building.  Indonesia 
and Australia have a common interest in tsunameters deployed south 
of Java and Bali.  The Australians are therefore committed to 
working closely with Indonesia to ensure that Australian Tsunami 
Warning System activities in that region are coordinated fully with 
the Indonesian system. 
 
¶7. (U) As a matter of policy, Australia views the Australian Tsunami 
Warning System as consisting of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and 
Mitigation System (IOTWS), the Pacific Tsunami Warning and 
Mitigation System, and its own tsunami warning system. Australia has 
a special interest in the success of the Indonesian Tsunami Early 
Warning System as a significant component of the IOTWS. 
 
 
JAKARTA 00001171  002 OF 002 
 
 
HEFFERN