Published: October 12, 2026
Indonesia is exploring an unusual but practical way to strengthen community safety: using mosque loudspeakers as part of an earthquake early-warning network. A five-year research trial is examining whether an existing, widely maintained public-address system can help communicate urgent alerts in areas where distances are large and mobile communications may be unreliable after a major tremor.
How the pilot project works
The project brings together Indonesian researchers and a Japanese disaster scientist, Dr Inoue Hiroshi, who is working with the Indonesian government to assess whether lessons from Japan’s earthquake-warning arrangements can be adapted locally. Several mosques have been connected to a network of seismic sensors as part of the trial.
The concept takes advantage of infrastructure communities already know. Mosque loudspeakers are regularly used to broadcast the call to prayer, and local teams often maintain the equipment. If a system can send a reliable, clearly identified emergency alert through the same network, it may reach people who do not have a smartphone, do not have mobile data or live beyond the reach of conventional warning infrastructure.
The programme remains a prototype. Public warnings are not yet being issued through the system, and the researchers are still evaluating the technology and how people should respond to alerts.
Why warning time matters
Earthquake early-warning systems do not generally predict an earthquake days or hours ahead. They detect an earthquake after it begins and try to notify locations that have not yet experienced the strongest shaking. Since seismic waves travel quickly, the time gained may be measured in seconds rather than minutes.
Researchers involved in the project have explained that a community around 50 kilometres from an epicentre might have only five to ten seconds to respond. Even a short warning could be useful if it prompts people to stop dangerous activity, move away from hazards or follow a locally tested safety procedure. It is not a guarantee of safety, and a warning may arrive too late for locations close to the source.
Why existing local infrastructure could help
Indonesia is geographically extensive and has communities that are difficult to reach with a uniform network of digital devices. Mobile phones are important for modern alerts, but earthquakes can damage power and communications infrastructure, congest networks or leave some people without a charged device.
An established loudspeaker network could offer a complementary channel rather than a replacement for official mobile alerts, radio, television, sirens and local emergency services. Redundancy matters: a warning system is only useful when messages get through, equipment works and people understand what the signal means.
Maintenance is a major consideration. A sensor may operate correctly but still fail to save lives if a speaker is disconnected, the power supply is unavailable or a community does not recognize the alert. Regular testing, clear responsibilities and a backup source of power will therefore be as important as the initial installation.
Community trust and clear instructions
Emergency messages should be short, unmistakable and distinct from routine broadcasts. Communities need to know how an alert sounds, who authorized it and what actions they should take. Messages may need to use local languages and accessible formats so that children, older residents, visitors and people with disabilities can understand them.
Authorities also need protocols to avoid confusion caused by false alarms. Frequent warnings that do not correspond to real danger may lead people to ignore future alerts. Public education and drills can help explain that an early-warning signal indicates a detected event and the opportunity to take immediate protective action, not a forecast of exactly where damage will occur.
Local building conditions shape the response
The best response to an earthquake depends partly on where a person is and on the structure around them. Researchers working on the Indonesian project are studying how local building types and behaviour affect survival strategies. Advice developed for one country may not be equally appropriate for another, especially where some buildings are vulnerable to collapse.
This makes community-specific guidance essential. Disaster agencies should align alerts with tested instructions, local construction conditions and evacuation planning. A loudspeaker can deliver a message, but it cannot compensate for unsafe buildings, blocked escape routes or a lack of public preparedness.
Could other countries use the model?
The idea may interest other countries with extensive mosque networks or other trusted community loudspeakers. However, copying the hardware alone would not reproduce the whole system. Each location would need seismic monitoring, reliable communications from sensors to speakers, clear authority for issuing alerts, maintenance funding and response guidance appropriate to local hazards.
School public-address systems and radio or television transmissions are also being explored as additional ways to distribute alerts. A multi-channel strategy makes it less likely that one failure will silence a warning across an entire area.
What happens next?
The five-year trial is expected to continue through 2030. Researchers must demonstrate that sensor alerts can be transmitted quickly, that speakers are dependable and that residents can understand and act on the message. Its value will ultimately be measured not by the number of devices installed but by whether it improves preparedness and reduces avoidable harm.
For communities at risk of earthquakes, the initiative highlights a broader lesson: effective disaster technology does not always have to begin with a brand-new network. Carefully adapting trusted local infrastructure—while rigorously testing it—could help make emergency warnings more accessible and resilient.
Source for context: The Guardian reporting on the Indonesia–Japan pilot, published October 11–12, 2026.
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