Scientists in Indonesia are spearheading a five-year trial to determine if the ubiquitous loudspeaker networks used for the Islamic call to prayer can function as effective earthquake early warning systems. By repurposing this existing infrastructure, researchers aim to reach even the most remote territories with life-saving alerts before seismic shaking begins.
Project lead Dr. Inoue Hiroshi, a disaster scientist from the Disaster Prevention Research Institute at Kyoto University in Japan, first conceived the idea nearly two decades ago while conducting research on deadly earthquakes in Sumatra. He is currently collaborating with the Indonesian government to explore whether a system similar to Japan’s could be implemented locally. Recalling a 2009 earthquake in western Sumatra that claimed at least 1,000 lives, Inoue noted that timely warnings could have significantly reduced the casualty count.
Indonesia’s disaster management agency faces the dual challenge of vast distances and difficult terrain, making traditional alarm infrastructure difficult to maintain. Mosque loudspeakers, however, are already well-serviced and maintained by the local communities themselves. "The advantage of a mosque speaker is that they’re existing and well maintained," Inoue explained. "For any disaster infrastructure, maintenance is the big challenge… but the mosque speaker is maintained by the people." Several mosques have already been integrated into the pilot program’s seismic sensor network.
Andi Eka Sakya, a senior researcher at the Indonesian government-affiliated National Research and Innovation Agency and the Indonesian head of the joint research team, described the initiative as a potential "breakthrough." While Indonesia has maintained a tsunami early warning system since 2008, earthquake waves move through the ground at high speeds, meaning villages near an epicenter might have as little as five to 10 seconds to respond. Sakya emphasized that the current project remains a prototype and is not yet issuing public warnings, with the ultimate goal of maximizing response times.
The research, which is scheduled to run until 2030, is also investigating the installation of alarms in school loudspeakers and the use of radio and television broadcasts. Because Indonesia and Japan both sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, researchers are comparing survival strategies between the two nations. While Japan utilizes a "drop and cover" strategy, many Indonesian homes are built with unreinforced masonry that is prone to collapse, leading residents to prioritize escaping outdoors. Researchers are conducting simulations to develop scientifically grounded safety guidelines that reflect these local building realities.
Similar initiatives are emerging elsewhere. In the United Arab Emirates, officials have discussed using mosque loudspeakers as part of a broader alarm network for the Barakah nuclear power plant. Furthermore, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations launched a pilot project this year to install warning devices in 272 mosques to alert residents to floods, landslides, and other hazards, with the United Nations Development Programme noting that mosques are traditionally viewed as authoritative institutions within local communities.
With the largest population of Muslims worldwide, Indonesia has hundreds of thousands of mosques, which broadcast the call to pray five times a day. The pilot scheme has already hooked up several mosques to its seismic sensor network.
