Geographically, Indonesia is part of the Ring of Fire. It makes Indonesia have a lot of potential disasters, such as volcano eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis. The government should take it as a concerning matter to provide and maintain the emergency alert system Indonesia.
It is crucial for the country because these potential disasters are harmful. Many lives are vulnerable and threatened without proper education. With education and awareness, people can evacuate themselves after an emergency alert is issued. What are the types of this system in Indonesia?
Types of Emergency Alert System Indonesia
InaTEWS or Tsunami Early Warning System Indonesia
The tsunami event that occurred on December 26, 2004, brought a huge trauma to the country. It took more than 200 thousand lives in Aceh alone because at that time the government didn’t prepare anything. There was no early warning system, so people had not been aware of the disaster.
After that, it became a new concern. The government has developed an early warning system named InaTEWS. This is a special system to detect potential tsunamis that may happen in many spots in Indonesia. The monitoring is done by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics agency.
This system consists of buoys and tide gauges to detect and predict a potential tsunami after an earthquake with a high magnitude. Thus, the data is transmitted to the central monitoring. After that, people who may get affected will receive a warning message to evacuate as soon as possible.
Volcano Eruption Warning System
This emergency alert system Indonesia is also crucial because many areas in Indonesia have active volcanoes. When a volcano erupts, it can trigger other volcanoes in a short gap. So, this warning system can help people who live around the mountain to evacuate before it has erupted.
Each volcanic mountain in Indonesia has sensors and seismographs. Usually, there is a station to monitor the condition of the mountain close to the area. There are some stages that will be issued, such as normal, advisory, and watch. People have to follow the guidelines issued by the agency.
A warning message usually tells people who live a particular distance to leave the area for a certain period. The eruption can bring hot lava and debris which are threatening. The local authorities should collaborate with other agencies before, during, and after an emergency to save lives.
Earthquake Monitoring System
This is the system that detects motion underground and seabed around some spots in Indonesia. Since the country is in The Ring of Fire, most areas have this monitoring system. Every day, Indonesia has earthquakes even though the magnitude and the intensity are low.
A few minutes after the earthquake, the related agency issued information about the earthquake that was happening. It also follows a warning, if needed, because aftershocks may follow with more dangerous causes. This system works in real-time to serve accurate data.
Flood Warning System
Some areas in Indonesia are vulnerable to flood disasters. A high-intensity rainfall could lead to this disaster, especially during October to March. This monitoring is done by the hydrological agency with its reliable forecasting system.
BMKG, an agency by the government, usually announces the forecast to the public about the potential of floods. Some alerts can be issued to some people who live in the affected area to stay safe or evacuate to a safer place.
The Challenge of Indonesia Emergency Alert System
1. Awareness
Uneven education leads to a lack of awareness among vulnerable communities. It is a huge task of the government to educate them about the dangers of disasters. This effort should be an important agenda before the event occurs.
2. Infrastructure
Indonesia has some infrastructure issues. The remote areas may be unreachable. The population in remote areas has different patterns and tends to ignore the current situation around them.
3. Geographic
The areas that are far from the capital of Indonesia have less attention from the public. The emergency response is slower because of the distance. Thus, it is harder to install sensors in some areas that need proper maintenance.
Using the emergency alert system Indonesia is very crucial because of Indonesia’s location. Local authorities can consider including an SMS broadcaster, a device that could send a warning message to multiple users. It is efficient and inexpensive, but it works well to save many lives in critical situations such as disasters and public threats.
Comments