Another lecturer of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Teuku Faisal Fathani, Ph.D., has won the Technology Innovator 2015 award from Research, Technology, and Higher Learning Ministry. The award was presented by Minister Mohammad Nasir during the celebration of the National Education Day on 2 May 2015 in Jakarta.
Since 2007, the man born in Banda Aceh, 39 years ago along with Prof. Dwikorita Karnawati have developed early warning systems in the form of extensometer manual and rain meter to minimise landslide risks.
The tool has been applied in Banjarnegara, Situbondo, and Karanganyar in addition to some provinces in China.
The tool has secured the lives of residents of Pagentan in Banjarnegara from possible landslides back in November 2007.
“The extensometer installed there went off four hours before the landslide. Thank God, there were no casualties in the disaster as people have fled before it happened,” said the Civil Engineering lecturer on Wednesday (6/5) on UGM campus.
Many landslide occurences in Indonesia have triggered Faisal and UGM team to continue their work producing early warning system for the second generation, which includes extensometer, tiltmeter, inclinometer and rain meter using data logger. Furthermore, with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency they built the third generation in early warning system based on telemetry. Now, over 100 units of early warning tools have been applied in 14 provinces across Indonesia and several mining companies abroad. “This year we would also export the tools to Vietnam and Croatia,” he added.
Faisal reiterated that raising awareness, alertness and resilience of community during disasters is the key to minimise the risks.