ITU provides satellite imagery and training to Indonesia for post- earthquake disaster telecommunications network planning

Following the powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake of Saturday 27 May 2006 that struck Java Island, Indonesia, ITU, in partnership with the United Nations Satellite Agency (UNOSAT), is assisting the government of Indonesia with the provision of satellite imagery, mapping services and training in Yogjakarta for post-disaster telecommunication network planning, rehabilitation and vulnerability reduction.

The objectives of this post-disaster assistance are:

• Provide very high resolution pre-disaster geographical mapping,
• Provide very high resolution post-disaster mapping to be used in rehabilitation operations and planning of telecom networks,
• Provide geographical mapping information for reducing vulnerability of critical infrastructure, e.g., telecommunications network when future disasters strike,

• Provide assistance in interpreting data and information from the geographical maps,
• Conduct related training of staff as required,
• Provide GIS Software.

This assistance is part of ITU’s ongoing efforts in disaster mitigation and management aimed at helping Member States prepare, respond and rebuild when disasters destroy telecommunications networks.

About the disaster
The magnitude 6.3 quake that struck soon after dawn on May 27 killed more than 6,200 people on Indonesia's densely populated Java Island. According to the latest report from the social affairs ministry; the disaster resulted in more than 33,000 people injured, an estimated 647,000 people displaced and 130,000 homes destroyed or damaged.

The worst devastation was in the town of Bantul, where 80% of the homes were destroyed and more than 4,000 people killed. The quake was the most recent in a series of disasters to strike Indonesia — from the 2004 tsunami that ravaged Aceh province to the threat of eruption from nearby Mount Merapi. Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to earthquakes because the country sits along the Pacific Ocean's so-called Ring of Fire zone of active volcanoes and tectonic faults. Its 18,000 islands have 129 active volcanoes.

Recent response efforts by ITU:

• ITU provides satellite communications to Suriname for relief
• ITU Provides Emergency Satellite Services to Pakistan's Earthquake-Hit Zones
• ITU Responds to Appeal for Telecommunications Assistance from Tsunami Affected Countries