ASEAN Unveils Disaster Monitoring and Response System

JAKARTA - A day after a powerful earthquake struck off Indonesia's Aceh province, ASEAN has unveiled a disaster monitoring and response system that it said will enhance its disaster response capabilities.

The grouping's Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance in Jakarta has equipped itself with the application that can identify and analyse a multitude of data in minutes.

ASEAN said this will help member states make timely decisions.

The state-of-the-art Disaster Monitoring and Response System (DMRS) was being tested yesterday, when a powerful earthquake struck Aceh in Indonesia and triggered a tsunami alert in more than 20 countries.

Mr Ray Shirkodai, Executive Director of the Pacific Disaster Centre, said: "Literally within five minutes, we had a lot of information just looking at the system as to what to expect then and what to do. And this was before the general news media started reporting on it."

The DMRS is a powerful application that can identify and collate hundreds of sources of data onto a single dynamic platform.

When the earthquake struck Aceh yesterday, the system was not only able to pinpoint the exact location but also provide all the necessary information to deal with impending risks, including the speed and possible areas affected, such as schools, hospitals and airports.

The information and analysis would then be disseminated to the Disaster Mitigation Agency of each ASEAN country.

When fully completed, the system would be used to coordinate and facilitate emergency responses from ASEAN member states, as well as the international community.

Mr Said Faisal, executive director of the AHA Centre, said: "We expect to complete the project by the end of this year and hopefully by the time it is completed, more information can be gathered and installed in the database so that we can do more analysis as the information is already available."

ASEAN has come a long way in its disaster response since the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami that killed more than 170,000 people in the region.

Dr Surin Pitsuwan, the ASEAN Secretary-General, said: "I can say in full confidence that we are better off now than in 2004. But we need to make sure the level of capacity that we have increased will be effective and will be able to be called upon and used effectively."

ASEAN now has a multi-hazard early warning system it can rely on when future natural disasters, including floods and forest fires, strike the region.

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