Indonesia must make technical improvements to its early warning system for tsunamis. However, it ultimately falls to the authorities to better prepare the country for natural disasters, DW's Hendra Pasuhuk writes.
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Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Samad
Once again, Indonesia's coastline has been devastated by a tsunami. This time, it was Sulawesi Island that was hardest hit, in particular the provincial capital, Palu, and the next-largest city, Donggala.
Within Indonesia and abroad, people are increasingly wondering why the public was not warned that a tsunami was imminent. The country's early warning system, installed with help from the German Research Centre for Geosciences, did in fact sound the alarm after five minutes, predicting waves 0.6-3 meters (2-10 feet) high. The country's BMKG meteorology authority issued a tsunami warning, but withdrew it 37 minutes later.
The Indonesian tsunami researcher Widjo Kongko, who was educated in Germany, told DW that the sensors installed in Palu to measure wave height did not work at the time of the incident. Experts working at the early warning center only had access to data from sensors roughly 400 kilometers (250 miles) away, in the city of Mamuju. Those sensors showed no cause for alarm, prompting authorities to withdraw their tsunami warning. It would have been better, however, to have kept the warning in place for longer.
Infrastructure and training
Indonesia's government needs sensor technology capable of accurately measuring the height of waves on the ocean, not just on the beach, Kongko said. German officials helped install that kind of technology in 2005, but the expensive devices have frequently been damaged by vandalism. Furthermore, the technical expertise and funding required to maintain those systems has often been lacking.
Hendra Pasuhuk works for DW's Indonesian service
No expert could have predicted 5-6-meter waves. The kind of earthquake experienced on Sulawesi usually does not create a tsunami. It is believed that the shape of the island, which resembles the letter K, and Palu's location on a bay contributed to the unusual wave height.
The important question is how Indonesia can better prepare for future tsunamis. The Indonesian archipelago is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for its relatively frequent volcanic eruptions and seismic activity. It is impossible to predict the exact time that earthquakes will occur, but people can nonetheless better prepare themselves for such catastrophic events.
After the 2004 tsunami devastated the region, Indonesia overhauled its disaster-relief and -management systems. In addition to installing better tsunami detection technology, the authorities conducted numerous disaster drills. Regional officials were schooled in disaster response scenarios. Germany's Economic Cooperation and Development Ministry and the DW Akademie, among other agencies, helped fund the training.
The essential questions
How can authorities most efficiently alert people in affected areas when a tsunami is detected? What should residents and local authorities do once alerted?
Determining the proper response requires regular training for disaster scenarios. Learning what to do in case of an earthquake and/or tsunami should become a part of regular classroom education. Any agency that has to do with disaster response should be trained regularly and familiar with the latest technical opportunities and challenges. Possible evacuation routes must be determined and clearly marked. There is also often local wisdom pertaining to tsunamis gained from generations of experience.
Humanitarian logistics must be organized. In the event of a disaster, the distribution of aid and information needs to be ensured. Life-saving aid must reach catastrophe-hit areas as quickly as possible. Communication channels and the supply of electrical power are often damaged during natural disasters. How such important information is disseminated can differ from location to location.
To be properly prepared costs money. That's where other countries, including Germany, can be helpful. These are necessary and important investments that can be made now to save many lives in the future. The next tsunami will undoubtedly come: The only thing we don't know is when.
Indonesia tsunami and earthquake devastate Sulawesi island
Authorities have ended a search for more than 5,000 people still missing, leaving their whereabouts a mystery. Indonesia is grappling with widespread destruction after an earthquake and tsunami struck Sulawesi Island.
Image: Reuters/H. Mubarak
A bridge washed away
On Friday, September 28, a massive tidal wave unleashed by a 7.5-magnitude quake slammed into the Indonesian city of Palu located on Sulawesi island. The impact washed away Palu's 300-meter (328 yard) double-arched bridge, plunging cars into the water.
Image: Getty Images/C. Court
A deadly geophysical coincidence
This satellite image from October 1 shows how Palu is built on lowlands at the end of a narrow bay. Scientists say the shape of the bay amplified the size and power of the waves by forcing the water into a narrow and shallow channel. The earthquake's epicenter was also located close to shore, making the waves more powerful and leaving little time for warning.
Image: Reuters/Planet Labs Inc
A flooded mosque
The wave hit Palu, a city with a population of 380,000, on Friday evening as Muslim worshippers were gathering for evening prayers in local mosques. Authorities said that many others were caught on the beach while preparing a festival which was set to start later in the day.
Image: BNPB
Hospitals overwhelmed
With local hospitals crowded by hundreds of wounded, doctors were forced to treat the injured outside. Komang Adi Sujendra, director of a Palu hospital, urged assistance. "We need all the help we can get," he said. "We need field hospitals, medical workers, medicines and blankets."
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Rifki
Burying the dead
On October 2, the official death toll of the tsunami and quake reached over 1,200. Authorities expect that number to rise as more people remain trapped. On October 1, the national disaster agency told AP that over 150 bodies were buried in a mass grave, with the burial operations ongoing. Indonesia is a majority-Muslim nation, and religious custom calls for burial soon after death.
Image: DW/Nurdin Amir
Trapped below the rubble
The tsunami carried sand, mud and debris inland. Roads were blocked and communications disrupted with other cities. Rescue efforts in remote areas around Palu was hampered by the extent of damage to infrastructure. More heavy equipment was also needed.
Image: Reuters/Antara Foto
'Liquified' earth
The heavy earthquake caused sand and silt saturated by water to take on liquid characteristics in a process known as liquefaction. The national rescue agency said that over 1,700 houses in the Palu area were wiped out by liquefied soil.
Image: Reuters/I. Puta
President Widodo pledges to rebuild
Authorities managed to open the local airport a day after the tsunami, allowing the Indonesian mlitary to start delivering aid. The country's President Joko Widodo (r) visited the island and pledged to rebuild the city. The Associated Press reported that Widodo has authorized international help. The EU and 10 countries including the US, Australia and China have offered assistance.
Image: Biro Pers Setpers
Looters risk life and limb
Indonesian media showed images of survivors entering the heavily damaged malls and supermarkets to loot supplies, despite the risk of building collapse. Some Palu residents started returning to their homes to salvage usable items. German news agency dpa reported on October 2 that police arrested 45 people in Palu for looting.
Image: Reuters/DRONE PILOT TEZAR KODONGAN
Queuing for fuel
The earthquake and tsunami knocked out power to the island and left many residents without access to clean water and medical supplies. Some of them descended on gas stations to pump out fuel by hand for their generators.
Image: DW/N. Amir
Foreign aid
President Widodo has opened the door to foreign aid organizations as 200,000 people remain in desperate need of food, water and medicine. International Search and Rescue (ISAR) Germany has sent personnel to assist authorities.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Heine
Search called off
On October 11, authorities called off the search for missing people, leaving the whereabouts of around 5,000 people a mystery. Experts believe that many of the missing are buried underground after entire villages were swallowed by "liquid earth." To commemorate the missing, parks and monuments are planned for Balaroa, Petobo and Jono Oge, considered the worst-hit areas of the island.