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http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32435&Cr=tsunami&Cr1
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Indian Ocean nations to test UN-backed tsunami warning system
Aerial view of vast destruction of the Indonesian coast caused by 2004
tsunami
6 October 2009 – Eighteen countries around the Indian Ocean Rim will
participate in a United Nations-backed tsunami exercise on 14 October to
coincide with World Disaster Reduction Day, the first time that the warning
system set up following the devastating disaster that struck the region in 2004
will be tested.
The exercise takes place in the wake of the tsunami that killed more than 100
people in Samoa last month, “providing a sober reminder that coastal
communities everywhere need to be aware and prepared for such events,”
stated the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Following the 2004 tsunami, UNESCO – through its Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission (IOC) – helped countries in the region set up the
Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS).
The upcoming drill – known as “Exercise Indian Ocean Wave 09” – will test
and evaluate the effectiveness of the system, identify weaknesses and areas
of improvement, as well as aim to increase preparedness and improve
coordination throughout the region.
The exercise will replicate the magnitude 9.2 earthquake that occurred off the
northwest coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, in 2004, generating a destructive
tsunami affecting countries from Australia to South Africa.
The simulated tsunami will spread in real time across the entire Indian Ocean,
taking approximately 12 hours to travel from Indonesia to the coast of South
Africa. Bulletins will be issued by the Japan Meteorogical Agency (JMA) in
Tokyo and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii, United
States, which have served as the interim advisory services since 2005.
The recently established Regional Tsunami Watch Providers (RTWP) in
Australia, India and Indonesia will also participate in the exercise and will
share experimental real time bulletins between themselves only.
Countries participating in next week's drill are Australia, Bangladesh, India,
Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique,
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Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and
Timor-Leste.
A similar drill was held in October 2008 to test the Pacific Tsunami Warning
and Mitigation System (PTWS). Such early warning systems have also been
set up in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and Northeast Atlantic Ocean and
connected seas.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted the role of information and
communication technology (ICT) in addressing key issues, including natural
disaster reduction.
“Through good climate science and information sharing, ICTs can help reduce
the risk and impact of natural disasters,” he told heads of State and Chief
Executive Officers attending Telecom World 2009 in Geneva. “When an
earthquake hits, a coordinated ICT system can monitor developments, send
out emergency messages and help people to cope.”
Organized by the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Telecom
World is a unique event for the ICT community which brings together the top
names from across the industry and around the world. This year's forum
highlights the reach and role of telecommunications and ICT in areas such as
the digital divide, climate change, and disaster relief.