Depok, January 12, 2023. According to data released by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on its official website, there were 834 landslides recorded in Indonesia throughout 2022. This disaster was the highest compared to tornadoes (635) and floods (584) out of a total of 2,322. As a result, 753 buildings were damaged, 735 residents were affected, and 7 people died.
Seeing this condition, the Research Team from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI) consisting of Dr. Parluhutan Manurung (Geography), Dr. Supriyanto (Geoscience), and Iskandar Koto, M.Sc. (Geoscience), developed Landslide 2.0, namely the Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) for online landslide monitoring. By detecting changes in distance and slope in landslide-prone areas, this early warning system uses a laser distance sensor that is operated continuously from the monitoring location via cellular communication data transmission or landslide-prone communication. Internet of Things (IoT).
The Landslide 2.0’s design, components, and operation are designed to be as simple as possible to ensure affordability, given that landslides occur throughout Indonesia. This warning system is designed to be more practical so that people from all walks of life can operate it. Furthermore, the Landslide 2.0 is equipped with a radio to reach remote areas without telecommunications access, and is equipped with a small 12-watt peak (WP) solar panel as an environmentally friendly energy source. With proper maintenance, this device can remain optimally used for up to five years.
Landslide 2.0 works by monitoring changes in distance or cracks as an indication of ground movement using a laser rangefinder sensor placed on one side of the monitoring pole. The complexity of these changes needs to be confirmed by monitoring the verticality or uprightness of the monitoring pole. If the measured distance change exceeds a threshold, the system will issue a warning to the user to avoid landslide-prone areas. Monitoring results are also transferred to a cloud server system for online, real-time display on the website.
Dr. Parluhutan stated that local monitoring in various landslide-prone locations can be integrated nationally, allowing for comprehensive and comprehensive analysis of land movement patterns across various regions. This community-based innovative technology is expected to support landslide risk reduction, particularly in low-income settlements.
“The innovation and independence of Landslide 2.0 technology is expected to be applied in various landslide-prone locations throughout Indonesia. Its affordable price allows us to assist communities and local policymakers in building independent early warning systems in their respective areas,” said Dr. Parluhutan.
Landslide 2.0, which began design in August 2020, continues to be developed and improved. The device has been tested for six months in the Bojong Koneng area of Bogor, West Java, and has proven quite effective in monitoring ground movement before landslides and sending real-time early warnings to the community. With a relatively affordable price of Rp 30–50 million, communities can operate Landslide 2.0 to build their own landslide early warning systems in their respective areas.
