VZCZCXRO5879
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #2252 3500315
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 150315Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0971
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8580
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2850
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5734
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3407
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5233
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 002252 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES AND EAP 
INTERIOR FOR USGS 
USAID FOR ANE, EGAT, OFDA 
BANGKOK FOR RDM/A - BILL BERGER 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR EAID KGHG SENV PGOV ID
SUBJECT: VOLCANO ACCORD AND REQUEST FOR EXPANDED VOLCANO ASSISTANCE 
 
¶1. (U) Summary. The Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral 
Resources, Center for Volcanology and Geologic Hazard Mitigation 
(CVGHM) held an international symposium in Bandung from November 30 
through December 5, 2008 to review progress on volcano hazard 
science and risk reduction in Asia.  Participants drafted the 
Bandung Accord, an agreement for international cooperation in 
volcano risk reduction.  The accord, which is being circulated by 
CVGHM for review, calls on th  volcanic nations of the Pacific Rim 
to prioritiee their volcanoes for new monitoring and for 
multi-lateral cooperation in reducing volcanic risk.  During the 
meeting, CVGHM Director Surono singled out the United States Volcano 
Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) to assist with the establishment 
of modern real-time monitoring of the highest pi(ority volcanoes on 
the island of Java, where more than two million people live on the 
flanks of active volcanoes.  The invitation from Surono is a strong 
endorsement of VDAP's ongoing work in Indonesia and a significant 
step forward in advancing US-Indonesian scientific cooperation. End 
summary. 
¶2. (U) CVGM hosted the 2008 Asian International Symposium on 
Modeling of Volcanic Eruption for Volcanic Hazard Assessment. 
Participants included representatives from volcano hazards agencies 
and universities in Indonesia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, 
France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, and the 
United States. Dr. John S. Pallister, Chief of VDAP represented the 
United States.  (VDAP is a joint program sponsored by USAID-Office 
of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the United States Geoglogical 
Survey.) 
 
¶3. (U) Symposium participants drafted the Bandung Accord, an 
agreement for international cooperation in volcano risk reduction. 
Under the accord, Pacific Rim nations would establish priorities 
using methods developed by the US Geological Survey where priorities 
are determined by analysis of: 1) relative threat levels, 2) current 
monitoring capabilities and knowledge base, and 3) gaps between the 
current status of monitoring and optimal levels needed to save lives 
and property. The accord calls for participating nations to 
coordinate capacity-building projects, provide for exchange of 
knowledge and experience, and seek common approaches and methods for 
risk reduction. If implemented, the Bandung Accord would also focus 
multi-lateral foreign assistance efforts on the most hazardous 
volcanoes in developing countries of the Pacific Rim. 
¶4. (U) During the meeting, Surono singled out the USG among donor 
countries to assist CVGHM with establishing modern real-time 
monitoring of the highest priority volcanoes on the island of Java, 
where more than two million people live on the flanks of active 
volcanoes.  The Embassy has repeatedly heard Indonesian government 
officials praise the VDAP North Sulawesi project and VDAP's support 
during the eruption of Merapi volcano and the Yogyakarta earthquake 
in 2006. In North Sulawesi, VDAP helped build a regional volcano 
observatory and has created what CVGHM now describes as the "best 
volcano monitoring system in Indonesia."  The Embassy believes 
expansion of the VDAP program to include activities in Java will not 
only better safeguard Indonesians living in close proximity to 
volcanoes but will also contribute to a stronger US-Indonesian 
scientific partnership. 
HUME