NATURAL DISASTER/ EARTHQUAKE - JAKARTA. Tourism Minister Arief Yahya has said that Indonesia is currently developing disaster mitigation technology that will be placed in tourist destinations.
“The support of technology for disaster mitigation will improve the tourist experience,” Arief said in a press statement on Thursday, adding that the the country was taking steps toward meeting the standards introduced by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The technology would also improve the competitiveness of the Indonesian tourist industry in the global market, he said.
The Tourism Ministry is attempting to help the country to reach 30th position in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Currently, Indonesia sits 42nd.
Meanwhile, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) head Hammam Riza said the agency encouraged the use of early warning systems at tourist destinations that were frequently affected by disasters – both geological and the hydrometeorological.
“The BPPT has developed technology for an early warning system and early prevention for hydrometeorological disasters like flooding and landslides as well as geological disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis,” Hammam said.
He said three types of technology had been developed, namely the flood early warning system (FEWS), landslide early warning system (LEWS) and Red White Buoy system for tsunamis.
“The integrated detection and early warning technology using buoys, cables and radar are integrated into the existing early warning system, which is supported by the fourth generation of the communications system [...],” he added.
