Indonesia Tests Mosque Loudspeakers for Earthquake Early Warnings
INDONESIA — October 25, 2026
Indonesia and Japan explore how mosque loudspeakers could help warn communities before earthquake shaking arrives
Mosque loudspeakers in Indonesia could play a new role in disaster preparedness under a research project involving Indonesian and Japanese scientists. The team is exploring whether the speakers commonly used to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer can also help deliver earthquake early warnings to nearby communities.
The initiative aims to make use of existing local infrastructure, potentially helping residents in areas where mobile communications may be unreliable or difficult to access. However, the system remains under development and is not yet operating as a public earthquake-warning service.
How could the system work?
The proposed system links seismic monitoring equipment with communication channels that can distribute warnings when an earthquake is detected. Mosque loudspeakers are being examined as one way to reach residents quickly, alongside other channels such as radio, television and school loudspeakers.
The approach is particularly relevant to Indonesia, an earthquake-prone country where communities are spread across a large archipelago. Existing mosque loudspeaker networks could provide a practical way to communicate with residents without requiring every person to own a smartphone.
According to reporting by The Guardian, several mosques have already been connected to seismic sensors as part of the research. The project is intended to assess whether this approach can provide useful warning time and help people respond more quickly.
Why Indonesia needs faster earthquake warnings
Indonesia lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region characterised by significant seismic activity. Earthquakes can cause severe damage, particularly where buildings are not designed to withstand strong ground movement.
Earthquake early-warning systems do not predict earthquakes days or hours in advance. Instead, they detect an earthquake after it begins and attempt to alert people in locations that have not yet experienced the strongest shaking.
The time available to respond can be extremely short. The research team has highlighted that communities around 50 kilometres from an earthquake’s epicentre might have only several seconds to react, depending on the event and the system’s performance.
Even a short warning could give people an opportunity to take protective action, stop certain industrial operations or initiate emergency procedures. The actual benefit would depend on detection accuracy, communications reliability and how quickly people receive and understand the warning.
A five-year research partnership
The initiative forms part of a wider Indonesia–Japan collaboration to develop an integrated earthquake early-warning and response system.
The Japan Science and Technology Agency identifies Kyoto University’s Disaster Prevention Research Institute and Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency among the institutions involved in the project. The Japan International Cooperation Agency lists the cooperation period as April 2025 to April 2030.
The wider research programme covers more than mosque announcements. It also aims to improve earthquake monitoring and ground-motion estimates, develop communication systems and prepare evacuation guidance suited to local buildings and living conditions.
The project is intended to test the system in selected areas before any broader implementation. Researchers will need to assess whether warnings can be delivered consistently and whether communities can respond safely and effectively.
Why mosque loudspeakers could be useful
Mosques are established community institutions across much of Indonesia, and their loudspeaker systems are already familiar to local residents. Using existing equipment could help reduce the need to build an entirely separate public-address network.
The approach may be particularly useful in communities where mobile coverage is limited or where an earthquake could disrupt communication infrastructure. Nevertheless, loudspeakers would need reliable power, dependable links to monitoring systems and clear procedures to prevent false or confusing alarms.
Researchers are also considering how emergency instructions should be adapted to Indonesian conditions. Guidance developed for one country cannot automatically be applied everywhere, because building construction, settlement patterns and available escape routes can differ.
What is confirmed — and what remains uncertain?
The Indonesia–Japan research collaboration is documented by the Japan Science and Technology Agency and JICA. Recent reporting has also described tests connecting mosque loudspeakers with seismic monitoring equipment.
However, the system is still a prototype. The sources reviewed for this report do not establish that it has begun issuing earthquake warnings to the general public.
It is also too early to determine how much warning time the system will provide in different locations, how reliably it will function during power or communications failures, or whether it will eventually be adopted nationwide.
These questions will need to be addressed through testing and evaluation before the system can be considered a dependable public-warning service.
A potential model for community-based disaster preparedness
If the trials prove successful, the project could offer a practical example of how existing community infrastructure can support disaster-risk reduction. The concept combines scientific monitoring with communication channels that residents already recognise.
For Indonesia, the priority will be to demonstrate that the system can deliver accurate, timely warnings and provide clear instructions that help people protect themselves.
For now, the initiative remains a research project rather than a fully operational warning network. Its progress through 2030 will help determine whether mosque loudspeakers can become a useful addition to Indonesia’s earthquake preparedness efforts.
Islam Global News Editorial Note: This report distinguishes the documented research project from its potential future applications. The system is under development, and readers should continue to follow official Indonesian disaster-management and meteorological authorities for active warnings and emergency instructions.
Sources
- Japan Science and Technology Agency — Development of End-to-End Earthquake Early Warning and Response System: https://www.jst.go.jp/global/english/kadai/r0609_indonesia.html
- Japan International Cooperation Agency — Research Project for Development of End-to-End Earthquake Early Warning and Response System: https://www.jica.go.jp/oda/project/202313370/
- The Guardian — Indonesia looks to mosque loudspeakers to double as earthquake warning systems, October 12, 2026: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/12/indonesia-earthquake-mosque-warning-systems-loundspeakers
- The Japan Times — Indonesia to develop earthquake early warning system with Japan’s help, September 22, 2026: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/22/japan/indonesia-quake-warning-system-japan-help/
