US launches Indian Ocean tsunami warning system in Thailand

09/14/2005 -- 23:08(GMT+7)
[source]

Bangkok (VNA) - The US Agency for International Development (USAID) on September 14 announced in Bangkok the launch of the US government's Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWO) programme.

The two-year programme, with total fund of 16.6 million USD, 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 US programme involves close collaboration with the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The IOC has the lead responsibility for developing the Indian Ocean's regional warning capability. At the national and local level, the US technical assistance will primarily support efforts in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and the Maldives, the countries most severely affected by the December 2004 disaster.

In June, the UN approved an initiative to set up a tsunamis warning and mitigation system in the Indian Ocean.-Enditem