Indonesian university, US NOAA to develop tsunami-detection technology

SURABAYA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian state owned university ITS is to cooperate with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in developing tsunami detection technology, national Antara news agency reported on Wednesday.

ITS, the Surabaya-based Sepuluh November Institute of Technology, made the offer at a get-together on tsunami early warning system (TEWS) at the campus on Tuesday. Experts and representatives from the East Java provincial administration attended the ceremony.

"So far, most of the Indonesian people have a little knowledge of TEWS. That's why we are trying to familiarize them through a campus," Antara quoted spatial layout expert Prof John Silas as saying on Wednesday.

He said the local community's preparedness was the most important factor to face a tsunami.

Tsunami early warning system has been recommended since Aceh and other areas in Indonesia were hit by a deadly tsunami in December 2004, which killed more than 200,000 people.