The catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004 united governments and peoples in addressing its unprecedented impacts. The devastating event, a rare occurrence in the Indian Ocean region, brought to the fore the lack of knowledge of and awareness about the hazard and, consequently, the lack of response capabilities, particularly of first responders and authorities who dealt with the large-scale emergency. Government leaders in the region were of the consensus that a tsunami early warning system is needed to prepare communities and authorities to respond to the hazard, and minimize loss of lives and destruction of property. The Special ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting on the Aftermath of the Earthquake and Tsunami (6 January 2005, Jakarta) and the Ministerial Meeting on Regional Cooperation on Tsunami Early Warning Arrangements (28-29 January 2005, Phuket) expressed their commitments to establish an early warning system for the Indian Ocean and the Southeast Asian regions. This resolve was echoed by several regional and international forums that followed. >>more