RI, U.S. sign agreement on disaster mitigation

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (Antara): Indonesia's Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) renewed an agreement on disaster mitigation on Tuesday, adding a new clause on the installment of four detecting buoys in disaster-prone areas.

The cooperation with the NOAA has been established since 2000, covering 12 field, including disaster early-warning signals, said Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi after signing the agreement with the Assistant Administrator of theNOAA, Richard W Spinrad.

The ministry's secretary-general, Widi Agoes Pratikto, said the NOAA also provided technical assistance through an extension specialist program that would evaluate factors that could reducethe number of victims in disasters.

The cooperation between the ministry and the NOAA would also cover marine and coastal area observation, and research on marine and coastal area development, management and conservation.

The NOAA would also provide training and courses in Indonesia's 33 provinces on threats and dangers to marine life and fisheries.

"The NOAA uses its satellites to detect these threats and dangers. Now, it's up to us whether we can read the data that they provide. Therefore, we have to be ready for that," Widi said.

He said the NOAA also offered research on various issues such as global warming, marine pharmaceutical and sea level rises. The body earlier gave input for the drafting of a bill on coastal areas and islands in Indonesia, he said.