Aceh may be hit by another tsunami, says LIPI expert

Based on the results of scientific studies and observations of the trend in previous tsunamis, Nanggroe Aceh Daurssalam (NAD) province may be hit by another tusnami at an unpredictable time in the future, an ecologist of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said.

“It is possible the tsunami (to hit NAD again) will come from the Andaman Islands but we don`t know when it will happen,” Prof Jan Sopaheluwakan, LIPI deputy chief for scientific services who is also an ecologist, said here Tuesday.He was speaking at a forum to promote public preparedness to cope with natural disasters attended by hundreds of local civil servants and security agency officers.

Studies and research conducted by scientists had shown that Sumatra island was prone to tsunamis because it lay on the path of seismic faults stretching from Lampung in the South to Aceh in the north. In addition, the waters along Sumatra`s coastline lay above earth-crust layers that often collided with each other.

Besides Aceh, another tusnami-prone part of Sumatra island was West Sumatra where a future tsunami would come from the Mentawai islands, Sopaheluwakan said.

“The posssibility of a tsunami happening in West Sumatra is quite great and it may only be a question of time because according to the findings of scientific studies, seismic energy in the area is bulding up,” he said.

So, in Sumatra, the potentials for tsunami are centered north of Rondo island and in the south of Mentawai Islands, he added.

In order to minimize the threat of tsunami, LIPI had been assigned by the government to develop a tsunami early warning system which would be installed in the Indian Ocean and was expected to become operational in 2008, he said.

“After the system has been installed and become operational, early information on an impending tusanmi can be obtained from neigboring countries like Thailand, India and possibly also from Myanmar,” Sopaheluwakan said.

The early warning system would be operated in cooperation with other neighboring countries, namely India and Australia, to ensure quick access to information and close coordination.

Especially in Aceh, LIPI was implementing a program to provide education in basic preparedness to cope with natural disasters to the public.(*)

Source: Antara (4 March 2007)

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