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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 Indian Ocean and Southeast
Asia. 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, 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 joined the regional grouping, and
bilateral agreements with the ten participating
countries were signed.
In July 2006, the meeting of national focal points
of the ten participating countries agreed that
ADPC, as facilitator of the system, shall serve
the participating countries as a regional tsunami
watch provider. The meeting updated and endorsed
for funding and implementation the regional program
on end-to-end multi-hazard early warning, developed
from two expert consultations in February and
April 2005. The meeting also established the program
implementation arrangement as follows: a) a Regional
Steering Committee of heads of early warning national
focal points and international experts to provide
policy and technical advice; b) National Steering
Committees, with the national focal point as Chair
and early warning stakeholders as members for
program implementation, monitoring and evaluation,
including identification of further needs; and
c) Local Steering Committees of early warning
stakeholders at sub-national and local levels
for local implementation of program activities.
Myanmar is the current Chair of the Regional Steering
Committee, with Sri Lanka and Thailand as Vice
Chairs.
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Planned
Activities for
JAN 10 TO FEB 10 2007
ADPC to participate
in an international conference on tsunami preparedness
for persons with disabilities
ADPC will make
a presentation about the activities under the
US Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS)
program, with focus on the Tsunami Alert Rapid
Notification System (TARNS) in Thailand at the
International Conference on Tsunami Preparedness
for Persons with Disabilities. The conference,
which will be held in Phuket City from January
11-12, 2007, will be convened by the Pacific
Center on Disability Consortium in collaboration
with governmental and non-governmental organizations
in Thailand. ADPC serves as the Program Integrator
of the US IOTWS program.
ADPC to conduct site profiling in Than Hoa
province, Vietnam
ADPC will be on
mission to Than Hoa province, Vietnam from
January 15-19 in order to conduct a profiling
of potential pilot sites for the "Enhancing
Community Resilience to Natural Disasters in
Southeast Asia Project," which is funded
by the Danish Agency for International Development
(DANIDA). During the visit, ADPC will undertake
site profiling after identification of a suitable
commune; meet with the Province Hydrometeorological
Service, Provincial Committee on Flood and Storm
Control; and assess the typhoon/ flood preparedness
of select communities as well as their demand
for climate information. ADPC will also discuss
the project implementation strategy with the
local authorities.
ADPC to convene a workshop
on 'Enhancing Community Response to Disaster
Warnings' in Hanoi
ADPC will convene
a workshop with the theme 'Enhancing Community
Response to Disaster Warnings' in Hanoi, Vietnam
from January 22-23, 2007 in order to:
1) create awareness on current status of communicating
risks for enhancing disaster prevention, mitigation,
and preparedness; 2) identify the institutions
involved and their roles, responsibilities,
programs and activities; 3) identify constraints
in risk communications, needs, and recommend
a set of actions, including a risk communication
strategy; and 4) plan priority pilot activities.
This workshop is a part of the "Enhancing
Community Resilience to Natural Disasters in
Southeast Asia Project" which is funded
by the Danish Agency for International Development
(DANIDA). It will be undertaken in collaboration
with the Vietnam National Hydro-meteorological
Service.
ADPC to participate
in third Tsunami Alert Rapid Notification System
in Thailand
ADPC will
participate in the Third Workshop on Tsunami
Alert Rapid Notification System (TARNS) in Thailand
under the US Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System
(IOTWS) program from February 6-8, 2007
in Nakorn Nayok, Thailand. The workshop aims
to develop a template for conducting tsunami
warning simulation exercises in Thailand and
to conduct a tabletop tsunami warning exercises.
At the end of the workshop, the participants
are expected to 1) gain knowledge on development
of disaster simulation exercises and the practice
of tsunami simulation exercise development;
and 2) develop tabletop tsunami warning simulation
exercise for identifying strength and gaps in
the warning system. This workshop is conducted
under the US Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System
(IOTWS) program and in partnership with the
National Disaster Warning Center of Thailand.
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