Member Country Report of Papua New Guinea - CCOP

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depended on the amount of the gas released. During the study period measurements showedsome areas received gas levels which were above world standard acceptable levels. It statedthat certain groups of people like those who have asthma, are more vulnerable to theseproducts than others. Monitoring of the sulphur dioxide has since been continued.Work commenced on the construction and installation of a seismic station for theAustralian Tsunami Warning System at RVO. The establishment of the station resulted fromthe Boxing Day December 2005 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The work was conducted byTechnical Officers from Geoscience Australia, with able assistance provided by TechnicalOfficers from RVO. The work was carried over into 2009.Provision of Technical InformationRVO commenced compilation of three short reports. The reports were titled:• Relocation of Manam Islanders back to Manam Island; comments from the RabaulVolcanological Observatory.• Relocation of Nonga Hospital to Baliora, Kokopo, East New Britain Province; Acomparative Assessment of sites by the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory.• Aerodrome assessment from volcanic ash perspective.RVO also provided additional volcano-related technical advice and information torelevant civil authorities and other concerned parties. This included volcanic updates and feltearthquake information recorded within a 250 km radius zone of the Rabaul Harbour SeismicNetwork. Earthquake monitoring and reporting is the responsibility of the Port MoresbyGeophysical Observatory (PMGO), however, RVO provided this service on goodwill basis.Community/Public EducationCommunity and public education on volcano and other geological hazards likeearthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, etc., continued to feature strongly in RVO’s 2008activities. These activities were focused in Rabaul area with visitations to RVO by a widerange of visitor background, including educational institutions. Posters and leaflets weregiven to the visitors.Similar activities in communities of the other high-risk volcanoes were restricted byfunding.6.2.2. Proposed Future ActivitiesFuture activities for RVO will be guided by the mandatory responsibilities of theobservatory and the overall 5-year strategic plan for the Department of Mineral Policy andGeohazards Management.Some planned specific activities include the following:• Continue to restore and upgrade monitoring equipment at Rabaul and the other highriskvolcanoes.• Upgrade data transmission mechanisms from the remote high-risk volcanoes to RVOat Rabaul. The current system uses modem-configured HF radios. Upgrade of thissystem is year-marked for the next two years; however, there are plans to phase thisout with VSAT systems. The outcome of this will depend on funding.• Improve power supply systems for volcano monitoring at selected high-risk volcanoesincluding Ulawun and Lamington with the installation of solar farms.• Relocation of the Volcano Observatory to a new location and fitted with a state of theart volcano monitoring system.10 CCOP Member Country Report: PAPUA NEW GUINEA
6.2.3. Assistance Required from CCOP/Other Member Countries in Supportof Future ActivitiesRVO receives its core operational funding from its mother department, theDepartment of Mineral Policy and Geohazards Management, however, it has also benefitedimmensely through aid funding from the Australian Government through its international aidagency, AusAID.With donor funding RVO was able to achieve the following:• improve the monitoring systems at Rabaul and selected high-risk volcanoes,• upgrade the GPS network,• upgrade the modem-configured HF radios for transmission of volcanic data from theremote high-risk volcanoes to RVO.However, there is still more to be done and RVO certainly would welcome anyassistance with funding and technical experts of the proposed activities outlined in (5.2.2)from CCOP, Co-operating Agencies/ Countries and Member Countries.6.2.4. Assistance offered to CCOP in Support of Future ActivitiesInformation on volcanos in Papua New Guinea was provided to CCOP for the CCOPBOOK PROJECT 2009: “GEOLOGICAL MUSEUMS OF EAST AND SOUTHEASTASIA”.6.2.5. Other CommentsThe main issues that affect the work of RVO are lack of sustained timely funding andmanpower in some of its key sections. For example, restoration of some of the monitoringequipment at other high-risk volcanoes dragged on due to lack of qualified technical staff inthe Electronics Section. Lack of adequate funding and properly skilled personal are majorsetbacks.Programme Contact Person:Ima ItikaraiAssistant Director, DMPGMRabaul Volcanological Observatory BranchGeohazards Management DivisionP.O.Box 386, Rabaul, ENBPPapua New GuineaPh: (675) 982 1696Fax: (675) 982 1004Email: hguria@global.net.pgJohn ArumbaDirector, DMPGMGeohazards Management DivisionPrivate Mail BagPort Moresby, NCDPapua New GuineaPh: (675) 321 5888Fax (675) 321 5893Email: john_arumba@mineral.gov.pg6.3. Earthquake/ Tsunami Hazards6.3.1. Annual Review of Individual Technical ActivitiesThe one year to date was quiet except for a magnitude 7 earthquake in theneighbouring Indonesian Province of Papua, Biak Island on January 3 rd 2008. Within thePNG region 16 earthquakes of magnitude 6 and 221 of magnitude 5 occurred in the periodJanuary 2008 to 09 August 2009. A total of 1595 earthquakes of magnitude 3.4 and aboutoccurred during the period. From these earthquakes no tsunamis were generated.Apart from the routine monitoring of seismic activity, work on the EU funded (EDF9)replacement of seismic network is continuing with the formulation of tender documents,spearheaded by Geoscience Australia. The project commenced in January 2008 and has adeadline of four years to December 2011.CCOP Member Country Report: PAPUA NEW GUINEA 11
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Member Country Report of Papua New Guinea - CCOP

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