Jakarta (Indonesia Window) - Volcano monitoring activities in Indonesia have been recognized by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) which awarded the country’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) in 2018.

The award was based on volcano monitoring activities and how the institution handled the crisis before, during and after the eruption.

Head of the Indonesian Geological Agency, Eko Budi Lelono, in a statement received by Indonesia Window here on Thursday said volcanoe monitoring in the archipelagic country has been turning 100 years old, starting from the establishment of the Volcano Supervision Service on September 16, 1920 to present.

The service was established after the eruption of East Java’s Mount Kelud in 1919 which killed 5,156 people due to ejection of Kelud Crater Lake and hot lava floods.

One year after the event, drainage tunnels to channel volcanic materials from the Kelud Crater were constructed, and an institution that handled geological disaster mitigation was established.

During the 1920-1941 period, the service monitored the activity of eight volcanoes in the country.

Up to now, the Indonesian Geological Agency has built 74 Volcano Monitoring Posts in 69 active volcanoes throughout the country.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, which was born from the Volcano Supervision Service, continues to make improvements in the monitoring system, as well as facilities and technology to meet the world's volcano monitoring standards.

Reporting by Indonesia Window