The 30 September, 2009 Padang Earthquake (magnitude 7.6) was one the most deadly earthquake to strike Indonesia since the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake. It killed over 1,000 people and damaged over 2,500 buildings. As part of its role in supporting Indonesia and other countries in the region to self-manage-such disasters, the Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction (AIFDR) sponsored an earthquake damage survey led by Geoscience Australia and Bandung Institute of Technology, to collect data on building damage. Such surveys are critical for understanding the earthquake resiliency of building design in Indonesia, so that the Government of Indonesia can assess how improvements in construction practices can lower the number of fatalities caused by future earthquakes.



Bio

Matt completed his PhD at the ANU in the former Department of Biogeography and Geomorphology in c.1996. He has published internationally in areas associated with coastal geomorphology including coastal dynamics and cyclone frequencies. He has spent a number of years at Geoscience Australia developing natural hazard, risk and groundwater programs and has published across these areas. He currently holds the position of Co-Director of the newly established Australian-Indonesian Facility for Disaster Reduction in Jakarta Indonesia.