The Ministerial Meeting
on Regional Cooperation on Tsunami Early Warning
Arrangements (28-29 January 2005, Phuket) recognized
the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center’s
(ADPC) readiness to serve as a regional center
or focal point for a multi-nodal tsunami early
warning arrangement in the region. In March 2005,
Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines,
Thailand, and Vietnam agreed to establish an early
warning arrangement that would cover the technological
and societal components of warning (end-to-end)
and integrate early warning with preparedness,
prevention, mitigation, and response (comprehensive)
within a multi-hazard framework. The countries
requested ADPC, as partner to the Royal Thai Government,
to implement and operate the system, and, with
other capable organizations, to assist in facilitating
resource mobilization, capacity building, tool
development (e.g. hazard maps), and in advocating
for the integration of coastal zone management
and disaster management. The countries recommended
a participatory system where countries exchange
data, information, research results and experience;
and form a pool of local experts to participate
in regional activities, and of regional and international
experts to guide and periodically review the Center’s
activities. Subsequently, Bangladesh, the Maldives,
and Sri Lanka expressed interest to participate
in the system.
Two expert
consultations led to the development of a regional
program that aims to save lives and protect livelihoods
of vulnerable communities in the Indian Ocean
and Southeast Asia by building institutional capacities
for end-to-end early warning of tsunamis and other
natural hazards. Through five program components,
the program would establish regional capacities
for tsunami prediction and research support in
medium-term severe weather forecasting; strengthen
national capacities in early warning, disaster
management planning, and emergency response; enhance
local capacities in preparedness planning, warning
response, and local risk reduction; facilitate
exchange of information, best practices, and lessons
learned; and undertake research in all aspects
of the end-to-end early warning system. >>more
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Meeting
on Regional Cooperation on Early Warning Arrangement,
Preparedness and Mitigation of Natural Hazards
12-14 July 2006
Miracle Grand Hotel
Bangkok, Thailand
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