Indonesia, Japan jointly launch climate monitoring devices

Indonesian and Japanese agencies jointly launched two climate monitoring devices, aimed at anticipating extreme climate and natural disasters in Indonesia, a local media reported on Monday. One of the devices was called Ina Buoy Triton, designed to measure climate on above and below sea surface. The device would be set in Indonesia's Papua waters located in the Pacific ocean. "The buoy will be set in located precisely on equator line and 138 eastern latitude," Muhammad Sadly, and official at Indonesia's research and technology agency (BPPT) said, adding that the device would be set at the location in June this year. The other device was a multi parameter radar that can be set at locations prone to natural disasters in the country. It is designed to anticipate possible natural disasters caused by climate phenomenon, among them cyclones and flood that often occur in several parts of Indonesia, the Antara news service reported. With the setting of those devices in Indonesian territory, Sadly said that Indonesia becomes part of community that monitors the earth (Global Earth Observation System of Systems or GEOSS). The United States and Japan had previously joined the system by deploying buoys and the radars at several points on their seas. Manabu Yamanaka, head of Japan's continent and maritime research agency said that the devices were the grants of the Japanese government for research with its partners, aimed at improving research capacity.