Tsunami Early Warning Systems in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia
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ESCAP is the regional development arm of the United Nations and serves as the main economic and social development centre for the United Nations in Asia and the Pacific. Its mandate is to foster cooperation between its 53 members and 9 associate members. ESCAP provides the strategic link between global and country-level programmes and issues. It supports Governments of the region in consolidating regional positions and advocates regional approaches to meeting the region’s unique socio-economic challenges in a globalizing world. The ESCAP office is located in Bangkok, Thailand. Please visit our website at www.unescap.org for further information. The shaded areas of the map indicate ESCAP members and associate members. Tsunami Early Warning Systems in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia Report on Regional Unmet Needs United Nations New York, 2009 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Tsunami Early Warning Systems in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia Report on Regional Unmet Needs The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. This publication has been issued without formal editing. The research for this publication was carried out by Sheila B. Reed, Consultant. The publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for education or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided that the source is acknowl- edged. The ESCAP Publications Office would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use may be made of this publication for resale or any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of reproduction, should be addressed to the Secretary of the Publica- tions Board, United Nations, New York. United Nations publication Sales No. E.09.11.F.14 Copyright © United Nations 2009 All rights reserved Printed in Thailand ISBN: 978-92-1-120580-0 ST/ESCAP/2536 About this Report This Report provides an overview of priorities for tsunami early warning systems in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. In particular, it will guide funding decisions by the ESCAP Multi- Donor Voluntary Trust Fund on Tsunami Early Warning Arrangements in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia, and was developed at the request of the Fund’s Advisory Council. ESCAP would like to thank the Governments of Thailand, Sweden, Turkey and Nepal, which have made financial contributions to the Fund, and the many other countries and partners that have made important contributions of their time and expertise. Table of Contents Tsunami Early Warning Systems in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia Systems in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Early Warning Tsunami Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... vii Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................................1 1. Introduction ...........................................................................................................................3 1.1 Report on Regional Unmet Needs ......................................................................................3 1.2 ESCAP Tsunami Regional Trust Fund ..............................................................................4 1.3 Methodology..........................................................................................................................4 2. Background ............................................................................................................................5 2.1 TEWS Evolution ....................................................................................................................5 2.2 Response to the 12 September 2007 Tsunami Event ........................................................6 2.3 Key Components of the Regional TEWS ...........................................................................7 3. Governance and Institutional Arrangements ...................................................................9 3.1 Summary ................................................................................................................................9 3.2 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................9 3.3 International Coordination Mechanisms ...........................................................................9 3.4 National Coordination Mechanisms ................................................................................12 3.5 Civil Society and Community Coordination ..................................................................13 3.6 Priorities/Recommendations ............................................................................................14 4. Risk Knowledge ..................................................................................................................15 4.1 Summary ..............................................................................................................................15 4.2 Introduction .........................................................................................................................15 4.3 Organizational Arrangements ..........................................................................................15 4.4 Identification of Hazards ...................................................................................................16 4.5 Community Vulnerability Assessment............................................................................19 4.6 Risk Assessment ..................................................................................................................20 4.7 Information Storage and Accessibility .............................................................................20 4.8 Priorities/Recommendations ............................................................................................21 5. Monitoring and Warning Service .....................................................................................22 5.1 Summary ..............................................................................................................................22 5.2 Introduction .........................................................................................................................22 5.3 Institutional Mechanisms...................................................................................................22 5.4 Monitoring Systems ............................................................................................................24 5.5 Forecasting and Warning Systems ...................................................................................28 v 5.6 Priorities/Recommendations ............................................................................................29 6. Communication and Dissemination of Warnings..........................................................30 6.1 Summary ..............................................................................................................................30 6.2 Introduction .........................................................................................................................30 6.3 Organizational and Decision Making Processes ............................................................31 6.4 Effective Communication Systems and Equipment ......................................................32 6.5 Warning Messages ..............................................................................................................33 6.6 Priorities/Recommendations ............................................................................................33 7. Response Capability ...........................................................................................................34 Report on Regional Unmet Needs on Regional Report 7.1 Summary ..............................................................................................................................34 7.2 Introduction .........................................................................................................................34 7.3 Reaction to Warnings .........................................................................................................35 7.4 Disaster Preparedness and Response Plans ....................................................................36 7.5 Community Response Capacity .......................................................................................37 7.6 Public Awareness and Education .....................................................................................37 7.7 Priorities/Recommendations ............................................................................................38 8. Priorities/Recommendations ............................................................................................39 Annex 1 - Bibliography ...................................................................................................................41 vi Acronyms and Abbreviations Tsunami Early Warning Systems in the