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Indonesia invites international experts to study soil liquefaction
“The Indonesian government will develop a research center for soil liquefaction that will involve experts in various scientific disciplines,” said Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono at the Fourth United Nations Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters at the UN headquarters in New York, United States
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People search for their belongings in the Petobo area of Palu, Central Sulawesi, where entire neighborhoods were swallowed by the ground or carried away by streams of mud after an earthquake triggered soil liquefaction in September 2018. (The Jakarta Post/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
he Indonesian government has invited experts from around the world to take part in studying the little-known phenomenon of soil liquefaction, which devastated neighborhoods in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Sept. 28, 2018.
Speaking at the Fourth United Nations Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters at the UN headquarters in New York, United States, recently, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono stressed the need to involve the international community in such research.
“The Indonesian government will develop a research center for soil liquefaction that will involve experts in various scientific disciplines,” said Basuki, who was also a deputy chairman of the High-Level Experts and Leaders Panel (HELP) on Water and Disasters, as quoted by kompas.com.
The soil liquefaction in Palu occurred during the powerful earthquake and tsunami that hit the region last year.
As a country on the ring of fire, Indonesia has a high risk of natural disaster, particularly earthquakes and tsunamis, he said, adding that, therefore, the government needed to develop a research center that could help mitigate the impacts.
“I want to wake the awareness of other countries that have similar geological conditions to Palu. Through such a center, we can produce high quality research on soil liquefaction,” he said.
The HELP meeting was attended by policymakers, government leaders and experts from various countries including Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Australia and countries in Africa.
HELP is forum for various parties to exchange experiences and knowledge on disaster management. (bbn)
