USAID announces launch of Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System Program

Citation

(2006), "USAID announces launch of Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System Program", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 15 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2006.07315cab.004

USAID announces launch of Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System Program

In August, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the launch of the US Government’s Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) Program in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. This two-year, $16.6 million effort will contribute to the development of integrated early warning and mitigation systems that allow countries in the Indian Ocean region to detect and prepare for tsunamis and related coastal hazards.

The program involves a number of key US agencies, each contributing specialized expertise in tsunami warning and disaster management. USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, will lead the US effort, with technical support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Geological Survey, US Trade and Development Agency, and US Forest Service. USAID also recently contracted with a joint venture between the International Resources Group (IRG) and Tetra Tech, Inc. to provide overall support to the US program as its “lead program integrator” contractor. IRG-Tetra Tech’s principal subcontractor, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, will contribute additional on-the-ground technical resources.

The US program involves close collaboration with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. The IOC has the lead responsibility for developing the Indian Ocean’s regional warning capabilities. Working with the international community, the US program will provide technical assistance using an end-to-end approach that addresses all levels of early warning capabilities from community-level disaster readiness to national and regional-level tsunami and earthquake detection and warning communications systems. The US approach also promotes multi-hazard solutions that strengthen capabilities in the Indian Ocean to respond not only to tsunamis, but also to other serious coastal hazards, such as cyclones, sea swells, and floods, as well as earthquakes. Until a regional system can operate autonomously, the US program will provide interim support for detecting earthquakes and possible tsunami conditions in the Indian Ocean through the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii and the National Earthquake Information Center in Colorado.

For more information, read the press release at: www.usaid.gov/press/releases/2005/pr050817.html or contact Tim Beans at the USAID Regional Development Mission/Asia at Tel: +66-2-263-7400.