Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics

The House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat / DPR) has passed the Bill on Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (Rancangan Undang-undang Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika / RUU MKG). The bill begins most poetically in its description of Indonesia being an archipelagic nation at home between two continents and two seas, and sitting on the meeting point of three tectonic plates, all of which serve to make Indonesia a very strategic place in terms of the richness and uniqueness of its meteorology, climatology, and geophysical makeup.

In spite of this, the seriousness of the bill is that it sets out not only the positives but also the negatives that the rich and unique features pose for a nation such as Indonesia. The bill envisages that the state can negate many of the negatives through the collection and dissemination of information and data as a means of increasing awareness among the general populace. This is particularly so for natural disasters. In many ways the bill appears to be somewhat prophetic in light of yesterday’s earthquake off the coast of Java.

The basic premise of the bill is to ensure, among other matters, the saving of lives and property, protecting the security and defense interests of the nation, support national development policy, and to improve information services so that information is more broadly available. The rationale is very much knowledge is power in the sense that forewarned is forearmed.

The bill requires that the government put together a 25-year Master Plan which is then to be confirmed by the President. The Master Plan is subject to review at least once every five years or as required. The basic components of the Master Plan are:

Generally, implementation of in this area is to be by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency. Furthermore, the latter implementation includes the following activities:

Each of these is then further enumerated in the succeeding articles.

The bill also stipulates the government to perform regulatory (establishment of general and technical policies, and licensing procedures), controlling (training, and certification), and supervisory (evaluation, audit, and corrective measures) duties in the matters pertaining to meteorology, climatology, and geophysics. Under the bill, the latter tasks are known as “implementation management,” and that this management is intended for, among other things, the enhancement of observation, data management, and services; and to develop professional human resources.

Any failure to comply with the provisions of the bill will give rise to the imposition of criminal sanctions, particularly in the forms of fines and / or imprisonment. The provisions for sanctions are comprehensively enumerated in Chapter XV of the bill.