Indonesia

Welcome to Indonesia Centre of Excellence of the WMO Virtual Laboratory for Meteorological Satellite Education and Training (CoE VLab Indonesia) located at the Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics of the Republic of Indonesia/Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Jakarta, Indonesia.

BMKG History

The history of meteorological and geophysical observations in Indonesia began in 1841 when Dr. Onnen, who served as the Head of the Hospital in Bogor, initiated individual observations. This marked the inception of systematic meteorological and geophysical data collection in the Region. A significant development occurred in 1879 when a network of 74 rain gauges was established across the island of Java, further advancing meteorological observations in the area. However, the historical timeline took a turn during the Japanese occupation between 1942 and 1945. During this period, the meteorological and geophysical agency underwent a name change and became known as Kisho Kauso Kusho, reflecting the influence of that era.After Indonesia’s proclamation of independence in 1945, the Jawatan Meteorologi dan Geofisika was established in Jakarta under the Ministry of Public Works and Power.

This marked a significant step towards the formalization of meteorological and geophysical activities in the newly independent nation. However, the institution faced changes in its administration during subsequent years. On July 21, 1947, it came under Dutch Government control, resulting in a name change to Meteorologisch en Geofisiche Dienst. Subsequently, in 1949, it was reorganized as the Jawatan Meteorologi dan Geofisika under the Department of Transportation and Public Works. In 1950, Indonesia achieved formal recognition on the global meteorological stage by becoming a member of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). With this milestone, and the Head of Jawatan Meteorologi dan Geofisika assumed the role of Permanent Representative of Indonesia with WMO, signifying the country’s commitment to international cooperation in meteorology and hydrology.In 1972, the institution underwent a significant transformation and was officially renamed the Center for Meteorology and Geophysics. At that time, it operates as an echelon II level agency under the Department of Transportation. By 1980, regcognizing its growing importance and expanding role, the institution’s status was elevated to an echelon I level agency, namely, Agency for Meteorology and Geophysics, all while remaining under the purview of the Department of Transportation.

However, a pivotal change occurred in 2002. Presidential Decrees Number 46 and 48 of 2002 brought about a restructuring of its organizational framework. The institution transitioned into a Non-Departmental Government Institution (LPND) with the permanent name of the Agency for Meteorology and Geophysics. This transformation marked a significant milestone in its evolution, positioning it for a more autonomous and specialized role in fulfilling its mission.

Continuing its journey of transformation and evolution, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency underwent a pivotal change through Presidential Decree No. 61 of 2008. With this decree, the institution officially adopted the name Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) while retaining its permanent status as a Non-Departmental Government Institution. This change laid the foundation for BMKG to expand its scope and enhance its capabilities. Subsequently, on October 1, 2009, a landmark moment arrived with the passage of Law of the Republic of Indonesia No. 31 of 2009 concerning Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics. This law, enacted under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, solidified BMKG’s pivotal role and responsibilities in the domains of meteorology, climatology, and geophysics within the Republic of Indonesia.

BMKG is led by a Head whose office is located at the BMKG Headquarters in Jakarta. The head is supported by an Executive Secretary and four Deputies, each overseeing specific domains, including Meteorology, Climatology, Geophysics and Instrumentation, Calibration, Engineering, and Communication Networks. Additionally, there are Head of Centres and Bureaus who play crucial roles in the institution’s operations. BMKG operates through five Regional Offices strategically located in Medan, Ciputat, Denpasar, Makassar, and Jayapura. Each of these Regional Offices is headed by the Head of the Regional Office responsible for coordinating operations and services in their respective regions. The institution’s reach spans the entire archipelago, with a network of 198 meteorological, climatological, and geophysical stations spread across Indonesia. Among these stations, one is designated as Global Atmospheric Watch Stations (GAW) and two others as the Atmospheric Watch Station. These stations collectively observe the weather, climate, and geophysics parameters and provide a wide array of services, including weather forecasting and early warning, climate monitoring and projection, earthquake information, tsunami early warning, and other geophysical data and information services.

In addition to its departments, bureaus and the operational centers, BMKG also oversees the State College of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (STMKG). This applied college is situated in Pondok Betung, Tangerang, Indonesia, and plays a vital role in preparing future meteorologists, climatologists, and geophysicists who will work in BMKG. STMKG annually produces approximately 200 to 250 graduates who are well-equipped to serve as BMKG forecasters throughout Indonesia.

BMKG Vision

BMKG vision is Realizing a reliable, responsive, and capable BMKG to support public safety and the success of national development, and to play an active role at the international level.

The vision underscores BMKG’s commitment to providing the accurate, targeted, appropriate, fast, complete and accountable data, information, warnings, and services in the fields of meteorology, climatology, air quality and geophysics, as well as to understand and address the specific needs of stakeholders for providing services that align with the expectations and demands of its user base.

BMKG Mission

In order to realize the BMKG’s vision, the institution has established a clear mission, which includes the following key steps:

Observe and understand meteorological, climatological, air quality and geophysical phenomena.
Provide reliable and trustworthy meteorological, climatological, air quality and geophysical data, information and services.
Coordinate and facilitate activities in the fields of meteorology, climatology, air quality and geophysics.
Actively participate in international activities in the fields of meteorology, climatology, air quality and geophysics.

The BMKG website serves as a vital platform for disseminating information about the BMKG’s various activities, services, and related events.

BMKG as A Member of WMO

Located in the Regional Association V (RA-V), as a Member of WMO, BMKG also functions as the following operational centers of WMO:

The Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC Jakarta)
The WMO Regional Training Centre for the South-West Pacific (Indonesia RTC), which is also function as the Specialized Training Center of the Ocean Teacher Global Academy of IOC-UNESCO (IOC-OTGA STC)
The Center of WMO Southeastern Asia-Oceania Flash Flood Guidance System (WMO SAOFFGS)
The WMO Regional Climate Center for the South-West Pacific (RA V RCC)
The WMO Integrated Global Observing Stations for the South-West Pacific (RA V WIGOS)
The WMO Data Collection and Production Center for Tropical Cyclone, Numerical Weather Prediction, Transboundary Forest Fires, and Tsunami Early Warning for RA V (WMO DCPC)
WMO Global Atmospheric Watch for a station in Bukit Koto Tabang, West Sumatera, Indonesia
Southeast Asia Climate Assessment and Dataset (SACA&D)

The Indonesia Regional Training Center of WMO

The Center for Education and Training of BMKG was recognized as WMO RTC for RA V in 2012. In 2020, the Center also hosts the Ocean Teacher Global Academy (OTGA) of the IOC UNESCO as the Specialized Training Center for marine meteorology and tsunami. Around 40 courses are conducted per year, both face to face and online. the e-learning methods has been implemented since 2014 and became more intensive after Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.

As the Regional Training Center, BMKG demonstrates its commitment to capacity development on a global scale by actively engaging in various programs and initiatives, including those led by WMO such as the Capacity Development Programme (CDP), CALMet, WMO Training the Trainers, WMO VLab. This proactive involvement has allowed BMKG to establish close collaborative partnership with other institutions such as the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) of Australia, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of USA, both in multilateral and bilateral mechanisms also as a member of global communities.

BMKG has its RTC facilities, located in mountainous areas in Citeko, Cisarua, Bogor, West Java. The facility can accommodate up to 250 persons and well-appointed with modern amenities. Among the facilities are the contemporary classrooms, comfortable dormitory accommodations, spacious dining areas, a fully equipped auditorium, a theatre, sport facilities and other amenities, which create an environment conducive to effective learning, collaboration, and professional development. The serene natural surroundings add to the appeal of our RTC, providing an inspiring backdrop for educational pursuits and fostering an atmosphere of focus and engagement.

As a WMO regional training center, the Center for Education and Training of BMKG has been actively engaged in several activities within the framework of RA II (Asia) and RA V (South-West Pacific). These endeavours have been realized through collaborative efforts with several key partners and stakeholders, including:

WMO Symposium on Education and Training, October 2010
Radar and Satellite Interpretation Training, in collaboration with Eumetsat, 2012
Online Marine Forecasting Course, in Collaboration with Eumetrain, 2013
WMO Regional Training Seminar for National Instructors of RA II and RA V, 26 February to 07 March 2013
Satellite Interpretation Training, in collaboration with BoM Australia, Citeko,12 to 17 June 2013
Training on Weather Analysis, 6 to 12 July 2016
Training on Aviation Meteorology, 27 to 31 July 2016
The WMO/Met Office Aviation Seminar on Aviation Hazard and SIGMET, 26 to 30 September 2016
Training on Aviation Meteorology, 9 to 13 February 2017
NASA ARSET Air Quality Remote Sensing Training, 20 to 23 March 2018
Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite User Conference (AOMSUC) Satellite Training for Trainer on RGB Techniques for Meteorological Application, 6 to 7 October 2018
OSCAR/Surface Training Course for RA V, 18 to 20 October 2018
Training on Impact Based Forecast, 19 to 23 February 2019
Climate Field School, 16 to 23 June 2019
Online Course on Impact Based Forecast (IBF) for RA V Member Countries, 7 to 9 December 2020
Online Course of IBF for ASEAN Countries, 5 to 17 April 2021
International Training on NWP WMO – BMKG 1st Phase, 20 May to 2 July 2021
International Training on NWP WMO – BMKG 2nd Phase, Citeko, Jakarta, 27 September to 25 October 2022
Online Course on Satellite-derived and Its Implementation in IBF and Warning Services, in collaboration with NOAA, 19 to 23 June 2023

Blended Training of Trainers on Climate Field School, in collaboration with the Colombo Plan and Ministry of State Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia, 4 to 18 July 2023.

BMKG’s commitment to capacity development extends to actively engaging in initiatives that benefit member countries in the region. An excellent example of this dedication is BMKG’s involvement in delivering the online course focused on the Impact Based Forecasting (IBF) implementation for Philippine.

BMKG is also actively involved in other capacity development program initiative, such as initiating survey on Resource Mobilization, Partnership and Development Assistance (RMPDA).

Furthermore, the appointment of the Head of BMKG as a member of the Executive Council Capacity Development Program is a significant milestone. In this influential role, BMKG is well-positioned to take a more proactive stance in promoting capacity development within the region. This includes not only advancing the technical expertise and capabilities of meteorological and hydrological services but also empowering and collaborating with other institutions to enhance their contributions to this critical field.

VLab CoE Indonesia

BMKG’s contribution in satellite data implementation is intricately link with its active involvement in the important community of the Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users Conference (AOMSUC). AOMSUC represents a collaborative platform that bring together satellite operators and users from Regional Association II dan Regional Association V that established in 2010. This Forum is dedicated to the sharing of satellite data to improve the weather, climate services as well as the disaster risk reduction program.

In 2016, a significant milestone was reached when a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was collectively signed among AOMSUC member countries, which include Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Korea. Two years later, as a commitment serves to the AOMSUC, BMKG proudly hosted the 9^th AOMSUC Conference, in Jakarta.

In 2020, BMKG took a significant step to expand its contribution to the WMO, with a particular focus on satellite-related matters. Encouraged by the WMO Space Program from WMO Space Program and WMO Education and Training Office, BMKG initiated the process of becoming an official Centre of Excellence of Virtual Laboratory for Meteorological Satellite Education and Training (VLab CoE). This strategic move involved close partnerships with the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) as the satellite operator as well as with the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) Australia VLab CoE to provide the education and training program to promote the utilization of satellite data and operations in RA-II and RA-V.

BMKG’s involvement in VLab program and related activities should consider the support to Regional Focus Group Discussion (RFG) conducted by Australia VLab CoE. BMKG staff contributed in this monthly discussion since 2013, as presenters and participants. Besides, it also needed to be mentioned is the involvement in Conceptual Model for Southern Hemisphere Project – Phase II in 2014 to 2015, under the support of WMO and EUMETSAT. In collaboration with BoM Australia, BMKG developed an online learning module of Northernly Cold Surge (NCS).

Further, in June 2023, jointly collaborated with NOAA USA, BMKG conducted the Online Course on Satellite-derived and Its Implementation in IBF and Warning Services.

Conclusion

Indonesia VLab CoE continues to investigate novel satellite data applications, such as monitoring and mapping the impacts of climate change and natural disasters in Indonesia and RA-V member countries.

As a Regional Training Centre, the CoE continues to be a pillar of capacity development, with a strong emphasis on human resources. The CoE hosts a number of programs and methodologies that offer students valuable hands-on experience, ensuring the next generation of meteorological experts is well prepared to address the challenges of our changing world.

BMKG’s tireless efforts in advancing satellite technology and fostering the growth of expertise in meteorology and related fields exemplify its dedication to enhancing services, responding to natural disasters, and contributing to global climate change mitigation efforts. BMKG’s initiatives are not only beneficial to Indonesia but also extend their positive impact to the broader region and international meteorological community.

CoE Contact Information

Dr. Nelly Florida Riama

Ms. Anni Arumsari Fitriany