A thousand years ago, Yogyakarta was the center of ancient Mataram Kingdom which was prosperous and high civilized. This kingdom built Borobudur Temple Temple which was the biggest Buddhist temple in the world, 300 years before Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Some other relics are Prambanan Temple, Queen Boko Palace, and dozens of other temples scattered throughout Yogyakarta.

Just like its cultural history, Yogyakarta also has a long disaster history since ancient Mataram. It has been proved by the finding of buried temples and other ancient site remnants. In 2006, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake and maximum intesnity of IX (Destructive) on the Mendeleyev-sponheuer-Karnik scale occured in Yogyakarta. It caused 5.700 deaths and 37.000 injuries and financial loses. Now Yogyakarta has BPBD in province and county level for disaster management. Based on the record, Yogyakarta has proved as a ressilience province and has been acknowledged nationaly and internationaly.

It will be a decade of 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake soon. We believe Jogja Earthquake Reflection will provide an excellent opportunity for earthquake and geotechnical engineers, geologists and seismologists, consulting engineers, public and private contractors, city and national authorities, and all those involved with engineering works and research related to earthquake, to exchange ideas and present their recent experience and developments.

With your active participation in the Jogja Earthquake Reflection, this coming conference will also be a successful event where you will be professionally rewarded and at the same time you will enjoy Yogyakarta’s stunning natural and cultural beauty.

I look forward to welcoming you to Yogyakarta –  in May 2016.