GAMA-InaTEK CENTER OF EXCELLENCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION FOR DISASTER MITIGATION

Abstract

Situated at the meeting point of three major tectonic plates, Indonesia has to cope with the constant risk of natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, and landslides, to name a few. Center of Excellence of Technological Innovation for Disaster Mitigation (GAMAInaTEK) Universitas Gadjah Mada strives to reduce this risk by promoting disaster mitigation research, particularly on landslides, floods, and volcanoes. We work to develop mitigation techniques and appropriate technological innovation against the impact of potential disasters for sustainable development with the priority of environmental sustainability. This center was originally founded as “Disaster Mitigation Team of Faculty of Engineering†following an earthquake that struck Yogyakarta in 2006. After Mount Merapi erupted in 2010, the team renamed it “Task Force (Satgas) of Disaster Mitigationâ€. Since 2017, it has become “GAMAInaTEK.†Past successes of the center’s research team, which is led by Professor Teuku Faisal Fathani, include building a landslide early warning system equipped with a ground movement detector that has been recognized as a national and global reference. Currently, we continue to develop this system to be applicable for other types of geological disasters such as floods, flash floods, and volcanic eruptions.