VZCZCXRO7679
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #2712/01 2690222
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260222Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6438
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0853
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4337
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1249
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4216
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8161
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0688
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 002712 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR IO, OES/EGC, OES/IET AND EAP/MTS 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO DEPT OF COMMERCE/NOAA/RSPINRAD/REPPI 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/RDMA 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: EAID TPHY ECON PREL ID
SUBJECT: NOAA ASST. ADMINISTRATOR SPINRAD'S VISIT TO INDONESIA 
 
¶1. (U) Summary. Assistant Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Office of Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Research (OAR), Richard Spinrad, participated in a 
series of meetings on tsunami monitoring, climate change, and future 
collaboration on September 17-21 in Jakarta and Banda Aceh.  Dr. 
Spinrad signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry 
of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) on scientific cooperation 
and a Letter of Intent on the use of Indonesian research vessels 
with the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology 
(BPPT) and the Marine and Fisheries Research Agency (BRKP).  Dr. 
Spinrad and Ambassador Hume presided over the launch of the second 
Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART II) buoy 
provided to the Indian Ocean region under the USAID Indian Ocean 
Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) program in a ceremony in Jakarta on 
 
SIPDIS 
September 19. End Summary. 
 
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NOAA AND DKP SIGN MOU ON SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2. (U) In a ceremony at DKP on September 18, Dr. Spinrad signed a 
MOU on scientific collaboration with Dr. Widi Agoes Praktikto, 
Secretary General of DKP.  During the ceremony, Praktikto explained 
 
SIPDIS 
that DKP was short on human resources in its marine sector and would 
appreciate assistance under the Sea Grant program for training and 
extension services.  He added that DKP would like to cooperate 
further with the U.S. to ensure that Indonesian aquaculture meets 
U.S. regulatory standards.  Praktikto indicated that Government of 
Indonesia (GOI) officials were still debating the implementation of 
the Coastal Zone and Small Islands Act, and that DKP would 
appreciate assistance and U.S. expertise on the sustainable 
management of small islands and coastal zones.  Dr. Spinrad replied 
that NOAA could follow up the MOU with cooperative activities in 
these areas in the future.  Praktikto explained that DKP plans to 
create a new Director-General position specifically for 
international cooperation. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
DART/ATLAS BUOYS LAUNCHED IN JAKARTA CEREMONY 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3. (U) On September 19, Ambassador Hume and Dr. Spinrad presided 
over the launch ceremony for a DART II buoy, the joint 
U.S.-Indonesia contribution to the USAID-funded IOTWS. The launch 
included four additional ATLAS climate-monitoring buoys, which BPPT 
will maintain.  Chairman Said Jenie of BPPT officiated.  The 
ceremony took place on board the Indonesian research vessel Baruna 
Jaya III, which will take the buoys to their monitoring locations 
off the coast of Sumatra.  During the ceremony, Dr. Spinrad, 
Chairman Said, and Dr. Indroyono Soesilo, Chairman of the Agency for 
Marine and Fisheries Research signed a Letter of Intent on the use 
of Indonesian ship time in exchange for future NOAA collaboration 
and knowledge-sharing. Immediately following the ceremony, BPPT held 
a press conference on the deck of the Baruna Jaya III. Local and 
international media, including CNN, reported the story. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
DART II SUCCESS DRIVES REQUESTS FOR MORE COLLABORATION 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶4. (U) State Ministry of Research and Technology (RISTEK) officials 
praised the launch of the DART II buoy, citing its importance to 
improving Indonesia's tsunami-monitoring capabilities.  RISTEK plans 
to implement an Indonesian tsunami warning system by the end of 2008 
and requested U.S. help in building their technical capacity. 
Indonesian Meteorological Agency (BMG) scientists and BPPT officials 
also requested future collaboration with NOAA. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
STATUS OF THE INDONESIA TSUNAMI EARLY WARNING SYSTEM 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5. (U) Deputy Minister for the Utilization and Dissemination of 
Science and Technology Suhardi and Assistant to the Deputy Minister 
for Analysis of Science and Technology Needs Pariatmono of RISTEK 
stated that while progress in development of the Indonesian Tsunami 
Early Warning System (INA-TEWS) is adequate, more work remains 
before the system's planned launch in December 2008.  RISTEK has 
installed over 160 seismometers and accelerometers, nine tide 
 
JAKARTA 00002712  002 OF 003 
 
 
stations, and 120 Radio and Internet for the Communication of 
Hydro-Meteorological and Climate Related Information (RANET) local 
communications systems.  While there is progress on 
tsunami-detecting buoy development, neither the German nor 
 
SIPDIS 
Indonesian buoy systems are currently operational.  The U.S. DART II 
buoy launched on September 19 and its companion launched in December 
2006 remain the only operational Indian Ocean tsunami detection 
systems.  RISTEK also stressed the importance of community 
preparedness as integral to the INA-TEWS success. 
 
¶6. (U) BMG reported satisfaction with its performance during the 
Bengkulu earthquake on September 12 and 13.  BMG issued tsunami 
warnings within five minutes of the quake start based on the 
earthquake's strength and location to the areas a tsunami would most 
likely affect.  In its report to NOAA, BMG stated it received 
tsunami notification from NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center 
 
SIPDIS 
(PTWC), but it was not clear whether or how BMG used PTWC products. 
This is consistent with Indonesia's concern that the international 
community views it as a capable operator of its own tsunami warning 
system. 
 
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PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) NOAA met with the President of Conoco-Phillips Indonesia, 
Trond-Erik Johansen, on September 20 to discuss possible 
collaboration on a public-private partnership to help implement an 
Indonesian tsunami warning system.  Johansen indicated that 
Conoco-Phillips would be interested in participating in a 
partnership, adding that the program is attractive because it is 
proactive and that it should include capacity-building components. 
NOAA and Embassy Jakarta will draft a proposal for Conoco-Phillips 
to review by mid-October.  Johansen also expressed interest in 
possible cooperative research and development opportunities with 
NOAA, such as using Conoco-Phillips offshore sites as platforms for 
climate and ocean observation systems.  The Conoco-Phillips meeting 
followed previous meetings in May and July with other potential 
donors.  Interest remains high in a public-private partnership. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSIONS AND PRIORITIES 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶8. (U) Prior to the NOAA-DKP MOU signing ceremony on September 18, 
Dr. Spinrad and Ambassador Hume met with DKP Minister Numberi, who 
raised the Coral Triangle Initiative and stressed that there is a 
need for immediate action to prepare for the impacts of climate 
change and rising sea levels.  He also highlighted the need for 
Indonesian technical capacity building to address climate change. 
Spinrad explained that the international community should address 
ocean acidification in any discussion on coral reefs.  Both Spinrad 
and Numberi stressed the importance of cooperation and that ocean 
data is key for climate forecasts and dealing with climate change. 
Minister Numberi added that Indonesia needs help with education and 
awareness on climate change.  He stated that there will be a side 
event at COP-13 on the World Oceans Conference, scheduled for 2009 
in Manado. 
 
¶9. (U) In a meeting with the Ministry of Environment (MOE) on 
September 19, Deputy Minister Masnellyarti Hilman identified the 
agriculture and fisheries sectors as the ministry's top climate 
service priorities.  Hilman explained that lack of funding has led 
to gaps in MOE and BMG's abilities to map and monitor weather 
patterns and climate change, which leads to delays in identifying, 
responding, and communicating during disasters.  MOE identified a 
need to gain more immediate access to data, to improve the use of 
that data to aid in guiding climate predication and climate change 
adaptation, and to educate local governments and communities on how 
to use weather and climate data.  NOAA recommended a workshop with 
MOE to discuss collaboration, identification of mutually important 
needs for climate services and information sharing. 
 
¶10. (U) On September 20, Dr. Spinrad hosted a roundtable discussion 
on climate change with local NGOs, academics and GOI officials.  The 
group discussed climate change and weather data standards and 
monitoring, the role of NOAA, and potential collaboration in 
Indonesia.  Meeting participants stated that President Yudhoyono has 
requested Indonesian climate change experts to develop a national 
 
JAKARTA 00002712  003 OF 003 
 
 
climate change action plan to present at the upcoming Conference of 
Parties (COP) meeting in Bali in December.  The plan will include 
both mitigation and adaptation plans.  Meeting participants were 
skeptical as to whether Indonesia could develop a good climate 
change roadmap without accurate climate data. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
INDONESIA - REALLY THE NUMBER THREE EMITTER? 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (U) In several climate change discussions, GOI officials 
questioned Indonesia's number three ranking on the list of the 
world's highest greenhouse gas emitters.  Meeting participants cited 
a BMG study that found carbon levels in the country to be below the 
world average.  Dr. Spinrad emphasized the importance of consistent 
and standardized data and shared information on NOAA's new Carbon 
Tracker tool to measure carbon sources and sinks around the world. 
He thanked Indonesia for its sustained contribution to the global 
carbon dioxide monitoring program and stressed the value of 
increased observations. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
IMPROVED COMMUNICATION THE FOCUS OF ACEH VISIT 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶12. (U) Dr. Spinrad visited the Banda Aceh region of Sumatra on 
September 21.  He met with the local BMG representative, officials 
from the Governor's office, representatives from both Aceh's 
disaster response committee (SATKORLAK) and the American Red Cross, 
and toured some of the areas most affected by the December 2004 
tsunami.  Meeting participants stressed the importance of improving 
 
SIPDIS 
communication, specifically between Aceh and Jakarta, to mitigate 
and respond to disasters. 
 
 
HEFFERN