Joko Widodo (researcher)

Joko Widodo or often called Jecko (born December 19, 1974) is an Indonesian scientist, geospatial researcher, and academic who currently serves at the Geoinformatics Research Center, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). He is known as an expert in radar and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology who has been active for more than two decades in the fields of remote sensing, geoscience, and environmental science.

In late 2025, he was appointed as the Head of the BRIN Disaster Management Task Force to provide scientific and technological support in handling the 2025 Sumatra floods and landslides disaster.

Early life and education

Joko Widodo was born in Kulon Progo, on December 19, 1974. He completed his undergraduate education in Geography at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in 1999. He then completed his master's degree in Environmental Science at the University of Indonesia (UI) in 2011. In 2020, he earned his doctoral degree in Computer Science and Information Processing, focusing on Microwave Remote Sensing–Synthetic Aperture Radar at Chiba University, Japan.

Career

Jecko began his research activities at the Indonesia Synthetic Aperture Radar Information Center (INASAR) in 2002. His expertise includes InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology and environmental impact analysis. He is also known as one of the researchers who contributed to the development of radar data processing for environmental and disaster monitoring.

At BRIN, he serves at the Geoinformatics Research Center. Additionally, he has served as the Head of the Geovisualization and Geoinformatics Infrastructure Research Group since 2024. Internationally, Jecko has been a Collaborative Researcher at CEReS, Chiba University, since 2020 and a visiting researcher at Muroran Institute of Technology, Hokkaido, Japan since 2023.

Role in Sumatra disaster management

In 2025, BRIN assigned Jecko as the Head of the Disaster Management Task Force for the regions of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The task force provided research-based support, including the utilization of Sentinel-1 radar satellite data and optical imagery for rapid mapping of affected areas, provision of clean and potable water, as well as the mobilization of health personnel and psychosocial support for displaced residents.

He emphasized that the disaster management approach focused on rapid, data-driven interventions to determine priority areas. The maps resulting from satellite analysis were used by local governments, BNPB (National Disaster Management Agency), and the geospatial community to expedite decision-making in the field during the emergency response phase.

In addition to these rapid response duties, Jecko encouraged the need for reassessment and redrawing of disaster vulnerability maps in Sumatra as a response to the increasing risk of hydrometeorological events, including the potential for tropical cyclones and extreme rainfall due to global warming. According to him, updating the risk map to align with current climate dynamics and the condition of River Basins (DAS) is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of mitigation, spatial planning, and future early warning systems. He also stressed the importance of inter-institutional collaboration, including cooperation between BRIN and relevant universities and ministries to support satellite data analysis and sustainable improvement of disaster risk governance.

Awards

In April 2025, Jecko received the Best Leader award in the commemoration of BRIN's fourth anniversary. The award was given to academics and researchers deemed to have high performance in the field of research and science and technology management.

Bibliography

Scientific publications

Source:

  • Widodo, J., Izumi, Y., Takahashi, A., Kausarian, H., Perissin, D., & Sri Sumantyo, J. T. 2019. Detection of Peat Fire Risk Area Based on Impedance Model and DInSAR Approaches Using ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 Data. IEEE Access.
  • Handika, R., Widodo, J., & Pravitasari, A. E. 2024. Combined Land Subsidence Analysis in Jakarta Based on Ps-InSAR and MICMAC Methods. Jurnal Teknologi Lingkungan.
  • Widodo, J., et al. 2021. Land Subsidence Assessment of Bandung City, Indonesia in Geological Perspective, Based on Interferometric SAR Using C-band Data. Photonics & Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS).
  • Widodo, J., et al. 2019. Application of Polarimetric Decomposition and Interferometric SAR Using ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 Data to Detect Potential of Combustible Peatland Areas. Photonics & Electromagnetics Research Symposium – Spring (PIERS-Spring).
  • Widodo, J. 2020. Study on Identification of Peat Fire Risk Area Using Polarimetric and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar.National Diet Library Digital Collections.

Personal life

Joko Widodo is married to Devitra Saka Rani, a researcher at the Process Industry and Manufacturing Technology Research Center at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Devitra specializes in bioprocess and biomass conversion; her main research includes the utilization of biological resources, including biobutanol synthesis from oil palm empty fruit bunches and the techno-economic analysis of algae-based and other biomass biofuels. The couple has two children.

See also

  • National Research and Innovation Agency
  • 2025 Sumatra floods and landslides
  • Gadjah Mada University

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