GFZ German research centre for geo sciences

Exercise in the case of emergency

25.01.2010|Potsdam:
An international workshop on “Tsunami Early Warning in the Indian Ocean” has been opened today in Indonesia in the frame of the GITEWS-project in cooperation between the GFZ Potsdam/Germany and the BMKG Jakarta/Indonesia, in association with the ICG/IOTWS of UNESCO IOC. Shortly after the Tsunami Disaster 2004 in Indian Ocean, all nations realized the need of a Tsunami Warning System in Indian Ocean. The countries in Indian Ocean have committed to develop an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS) to serve member states in Indian Ocean for the future tsunami. This system is now under coordination of an Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG) of UNESCO IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission). In line with the development of the system, the capacity of National Tsunami Warning Centres (NTWC)s and Regional Tsunami Watch Providers (RTWP) needs to be strengthened for maintenance and sustainability purposes as well as interoperability of the products among others.

GITEWS-experts train staff of Tsunami Warning Centres

25.01.2010 | Potsdam: An international workshop on “Tsunami Early Warning in the Indian Ocean” has been opened today in Indonesia in the frame of the GITEWS-project in cooperation between the GFZ Potsdam/Germany and the BMKG Jakarta/Indonesia, in association with the ICG/IOTWS of UNESCO IOC. Shortly after the Tsunami Disaster 2004 in Indian Ocean, all nations realized the need of a Tsunami Warning System in Indian Ocean. The countries in Indian Ocean have committed to develop an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS) to serve member states in Indian Ocean for the future tsunami. This system is now under coordination of an Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG) of UNESCO IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission). In line with the development of the system, the capacity of National Tsunami Warning Centres (NTWC)s and Regional Tsunami Watch Providers (RTWP) needs to be strengthened for maintenance and sustainability purposes as well as interoperability of the products among others.

The German government has committed to support several countries in Indian Ocean in developing Tsunami Warning Systems. Since March 14, 2005 Indonesia and Germany have been officially working together to implement Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System (InaTEWS) through project called German-Indonesia TEWS (GITEWS). This implementation was largely completed in 2008. A joint cooperation on the optimization, operation and maintenance of the system is further planned up to March 2010. Along with the implementation of the project, training to strengthen the capacity of the officers and operators has been conducted in Indonesia since then every year. The workshop 2010 is now conducted in Citeko-west Java in January 25-February 13, 2010. We invited 30 participants from 19 countries to participate the 3-week course; the participants were nominated by their institutions which are responsible for Tsunami Early Warning in their country. The workshop is concentrating on seismology, data analysis, tide gauges, GPS, system integration, rupture and tsunami modelling, and automated decision support. The course will provide theoretical fundamentals and practical training and is particularly useful for seismological station and network operators, data interpreters and those concerned with tsunami early warning.

During the opening ceremony Dr. Ir. Sri Woro B. Harijono, the Director General of the Indonesian Partner BMKG, as well as the German project coordinator Dr. Jörn Lauterjung (GFZ Potsdam) expressed their hope for a good cooperation in the field of Tsunami Early Warning in the Indian Ocean in the future.

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