The GITEWS (German-Indonesian Tsunami Early-Warning System) project was initiated by the German government following the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean in December 2004. The objective was to support the setup of a protective shield spanning the whole of Indonesia. The early warning system was first designed and implemented for part of the Indian Ocean with the advisory support of the Fraunhofer Research. In 2008, the system went into test operation and was delivered to Indonesia in 2011.

Even though the GITEWS project has been completed, Germany remains active in training the warning center operator BMKG. Following the technical setup, researchers, disaster management, administrators and the population must continue to be trained as to what to do in the event of earthquake or a tsunami and what preventative measures can be taken.