Delivering excellent research, education, and community services to support the development of
mitigation techniques, technological and innovative leaps of infrastructure, institutions, and
communities against disasters and extreme events for sustainable development
Who we are
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 (GAMA-InaTEK)
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 Mitigation”. Since 2017, it has become “GAMA-
InaTEK.”
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.
Our team includes 30 experienced researchers who specialize in various fields related to disaster
mitigation. We work closely with National Authority for Disaster Management (BNPB), Regional
Authority for Disaster Management (BPDB), Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning
(Bappenas), Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), Ministry of Village, Development of
Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration (Kemendesa PDTT), Ministry of Research, Technology
and Higher Education (Kemenristek Dikti), and State Minister of Public Works and Public Housing
(KemenPUPR).
GAMA – EWS: An early warning system for landslides
Innovative technology to monitor cracks, slope inclination, and rainfall amounts has made it possible
to apply a real-time early warning system of landslide hazard threats across Indonesia
Landslides are one of the deadliest and most common natural disasters in the world. Each year the
global death toll due to landslides is thousands. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB)
recorded 3753 landslides that have occurred from 2010 to 2018 in Indonesia and caused 1661
fatalities. It is estimated that 40.9 million people in Indonesia live in landslide-prone areas.
Landslides can start in slopes that are already vulnerable to movement by rainfall, changes in
groundwater, erosion, earthquakes, volcanic activities, human factors, or a combination of these
factors. In Indonesia, landslides typically occur during the rainy season in mountain areas, hills,
steep slopes, and cliffs.
In response to landslide hazards, early warning system is a critical component to reduce the
vulnerability of communities at risk. To help with preventive efforts, our team, led by Professor
Teuku Faisal Fathani, has developed Gadjah Mada Early Warning System (GAMA-EWS) that can
predict landslide events and support disaster preparedness in our community.
GAMA-EWS works by detecting ground shifts and movements using various types of sensors such
as rain gauge, extensometer, and tiltmeter. It is connected to alarm devices to respond to rainfall
and surface deformation. The slope movement is digitally recorded and the data is stored online.
When the ground moves, the system notifies local residents via SMS and pop-up messages during
caution-alert-evacuation mode.
GAMA – EWS is saving lives and protecting communities
GAMA-EWS has assisted in preventing landslide fatalities. On 7 November 2007, the system
detected a landslide in Banjarnegara, Central Java four hours before it occurred, allowing a total of
35 households to evacuate on time.
On 28 November 2016, GAMA-EWS has saved 100 households in Aceh from a landslide event as
well as flash floods, on the same day we were giving evacuation drill to the local residents. The
system managed to send alerts five hours before the incident.
So far, GAMA-EWS has been installed in over 32 provinces in Indonesia and exported to Myanmar.
We have worked with BPDB in initiating activities to develop GAMA-EWS and disaster warning
signs throughout Central Java. With support from BPNB, we installed the system for both landslide
and floods from May 2019 to November 2019.
Community participation for sustainable development
Community participation plays a crucial part in successful disaster management. We offer
supporting programs to equip the community with the capacity to prepare and respond before,
during, and after disasters. These include public education and consultation, public participation in
developing the system, and training and evacuation drill. Our hope is that GAMA-EWS will continue
its contribution to building disaster-resilient communities across Indonesia.
Our awards
Our team was awarded an International Program on Landslides (IPL) Award by the IPL UNESCO in
Rome, 2011. We were recognized for developing community-based landslide early warning system
and education program for sustainable development in landslide vulnerable areas through student
community services.
In further recognition of the work done by the team, we have also been named “World Center of
Excellence on Landslide Disaster Reduction” and “Member of the ICL Board of Representatives” by
IPL UNESCO since 2011.
Our landslide early warning system has become an international standard as published by the
International Organization for Standardization: ISO 2237 “Community-based landslide early
warning system”. We received patents for our sensors as well from the Ministry of Law and Human
Rights (no. IDP000038351, no. IDP000038434, no. IDP000038787, no. IDP000038968, no.
IDP000039806).
Our research
- Karakteristik Batubara Formasi Pulaubalang dan Balikpapan Cekungan Kutai Bawah,
Kalimantan Timur – Jurnal Geosapta, Vol. 5/ No. 1/ 2019, oleh Amijaya DH, Harijoko A. - Studi Potensi Pengembangan PLTMH di Kawasan Perkebunan Teh PT. PAGILARAN
Kabupaten Batang- Jurnal Otomasi Kontrol dan Instrumentasi, Vol. 11/ No. 1/ 2019, oleh
Widiyantoro WP, Wilopo W, Sulaiman M. - A Numerical Analysis of Landslide Movements Considering the Erosion and Deposition
along the Flow Path – Journal of The Civil Engineering Forum, Vol. 5/No. 2/2019, oleh Syah
A. Jurnal Ilmiah Internasional - The Effect of Inception Point on Dissipation Energy in Stepped Spill- ways Modeling –
Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University, Vol. 54/ No. 3/ 2019, oleh Krisnayanti DS,
Suhardjono, Dermawan V, Legono D. - Optimization Of Manganese Bioleaching Activity And Molecular Characterization Of
Indigenous Heterotrophic Bacteria Isolated From The Sulfuric Area – Biodiversitas Journal
of Biological Diversity, Vol. 20/ No. 7/ 2019, oleh Prasidya DA, Wilopo W, Warmada IW,
Retnaningrum E. - Pyrolusite Bioleaching by an Indigenous Acidithiobacillus sp KL3 Isolated from an
Indonesian Sulfurous River Sediment¬ – Indonesian Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 19/ No. 3/
2019, oleh Retnaningrum E dan Wilopo W. - Temporal Changes in Runoff Characteristics of Lahars After the 1984 Eruption of Mt.
Merapi, Indonesia – Journal of Disaster Research, Vol. 14/ Ed. 1/ 2019, oleh Gonda Y, Miyata
S, Fujita M, Legono D, Tsutsumi D. - Investigation And Numerical Simulation Of The 22 February 2018 Landslide-triggered
Long-traveling Debris Flow At Pasir Panjang Village, Brebes Regency Of Central Java,
Indonesia – Journal of Landslide, Springer, oleh Setiawan H, Wilopo W, Wiyoso T, Fathani TF,
Karnawati D. - Improving Spatial Rainfall Estimates at Mt. Merapi Area Using Radar-Rain Gauge
Conditional Merging – Journal of Disaster Research, Vol. 14/ Ed. 1/ 2019, oleh Hambali R,
Legono D, Jayadi R, Oishi S. - Geochemical Behavior of Trace- and Rare-Earth Elements in the Hydrothermal Alteration
Facies of the Cijulang Area, West Java, Indonesia – Open Journal of Geology, Vol. 9/ No. 5/
2019, oleh Tun MM, Warmada IW, Idrus A, Harijoko A, Yonezu K, Watanabe K. - The Human Cost of Global Warming: Deadly Landslides and Their Triggers (1995–2014) –
Journal Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 682/ 2019, oleh Haque U, Silva PF, Devoli G,
Pilz J, Zhao B, Khaloua A, Wilopo W, Andersen P, Lu P, Lee J, Yamamoto T, Keellings D, Hong
Wu J, Glass GE.
