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IOC/UNESCO
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION GROUP
FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN
TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION SYSTEM

ICG/IOTWS
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IOC/UNESCO
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION GROUP
FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN
TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION SYSTEM

INTERSESSIONAL WORKING GROUP 4


(A system for Interoperable Advisory and Warning Centres)

REPORT OF INTERSESSIONAL MEETING


Singapore, 24 November 2005

Geoff Crane
Chair WG 4
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THE Two quotes


HINDI
fromNATIONAL
INDIA’S yesterday’s paper
NEWSPAPER SINCE
Tuesday 13 December 2005
1878

Parliament approval for Disaster Management Bill


Aims at speedy handling of natural and man-made disasters

NEW DELHI: The Disaster Management Bill, 2005, secured Parliament’s approval
on Monday with the Lok Sabha unanimously passing the legislation that has been in
the making since the tsunami struck peninsula India last year. (P.12)
We are one family
RECIPE FOR PEACE: Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu
delivering the J.R.D. Tata Memorial Lecture at the National Institute
of Advanced Sciences . . . in Bangalore on Monday . . . said:
“We can be free, prosperous and secure only together.” (P.1)

only together
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Collaboration . . . Jim Weyman, WMO Workshop, Singapore


Collaboration
Collaboration
Very evident during the modeling workshop –
it is absolutely essential that there is free and
open exchange of all observational data.

Achieving that will establish the spirit of


cooperation that is necessary for an effective
interoperable warning and advisory system
in the Indian Ocean.
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And now – from today:

India will have full advisory capability


“in the near future.” Dr V Sampath

“We now have 26 nations with info centres with 24/7


coverage. . . . but not all appear to be operational.”
Dr P Bernal

“ . . . a system of systems.” Dr P Goel

“ All countries will have national warning centres.”


“ Some countries have no experience of
international cooperation.”
On sensors – “animals best, seismic equipment next.”
Prof D Deekshatula
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

At its intersessional meeting in Singapore


on 24 November 2005 WG4 determined

nine recommendations
for consideration at IOC ICG II - Hyderabad

Great benefit in holding the meeting the day after


a three day WMO Workshop on multi-hazard
multi-purpose early warning centre operations
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Recommendation 1:
The concept of an interoperable system of RTACs and NTWCs
is accepted as viable and appropriate for the IOTWS.
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Recommendation 2:
The RTACs serving NTWCs will issue
the following messages:

•An Earthquake Alert message for under-sea earthquakes


of intensity Mw>6.0 issued within 10-15 minutes
of the event’s detection.
This will be followed by either:

•A Tsunami Detection Alert message within 15 minutes


of detection of a tsunami, including information on tsunami height,
extent and arrival times at designated locations, which may
be repeated or updated as new data becomes available; or

•A Nil Tsunami Advisory providing confirmation that although


an earthquake has occurred, a tsunami has not been detected
by buoys, gauges and/or experienced at inhabited nearby
coastal locations.
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Recommendation 3:
Two or three RTACs only should provide the advisory
services to NTWCs in the overall IOTWS.

Recommendation 4:
There should be an accreditation process whereby the IOC
certifies a potential RTAC as being capable of performing the
role, based on the RSMC accreditation concept adopted by WMO.
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Recommendation 5:
The essential capabilities of a RTAC should include:

• operations as a multi hazard/multi purpose centre that


operates on a 24/7 basis;

• contingency plans, secure infrastructure, and UPS


to ensure continuous operation;

• capacity to back up another RTAC and continue the other


centre’s full capabilities;

• the capacity to collect all available data in real time


(seismic and oceanic), analyse and interpret the information,
and the ability to undertake numerical modelling; and

• a communications infrastructure capable of effectively


disseminating all information to all recipients.
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Recommendation 6:
The issue of two RTACs to issue information for the
one area (for redundancy and confirmation purposes),
provided that one centre was the primary source of
information, to be raised at the ICG II WG sessional meeting.

(Note. This issue is addressed in the draft document


Modalities of Operation –
a system of interoperable operational centres
(With an illustrative example network of RTACs)
to be considered at the working group sessional meeting.)
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Recommendation 7:
The ICG/IOTWS Perth Secretariat to prepare
a draft “umbrella” IOTWS operational directive
to be presented at the ICG-II sessional WG meeting.

Recommendation 8:
English to be adopted as the common language
for regional advisory messages.

Recommendation 9:
Membership of WG4 to be reviewed at ICG-II.
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Recommendation 1:
The concept of an interoperable system of RTACs and NTWCs
is accepted as viable and appropriate for the IOTWS.

• Nations are responsible for issuing warnings


to their own citizens
• Some will derive their own warnings from
primary seismic and sea level observations
and seismic and ocean models
• Others will receive advisories from RTACs
which will enable them to prepare and issue
their own national warnings
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Recommendation 2:
The RTACs serving NTWCs will issue the following messages:

•An Earthquake Alert message for under-sea earthquakes


of intensity Mw>6.0 issued within 10-15 minutes
of the event’s detection.
This will be followed by either:

•A Tsunami Detection Alert message within 15 minutes


of detection of a tsunami, including information on tsunami height,
extent and arrival times at designated locations, which may
be repeated or updated as new data becomes available; or

•A Nil Tsunami Advisory providing confirmation that although


an earthquake has occurred, a tsunami has not been detected
by buoys, gauges and/or experienced at inhabited nearby
coastal locations.
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R 3 – considered later

Recommendation 4:
There should be an accreditation process whereby the IOC
certifies a potential RTAC as being capable of performing the
role, based on the RSMC accreditation concept adopted by WMO.
A designated range of capabilities
(see R.5)
A demonstration of performance

Certification by IOC
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Recommendation 5:
The essential capabilities of a RTAC should include:

• operations as a multi hazard/multi purpose centre that


operates on a 24/7 basis;

• contingency plans, secure infrastructure, and UPS


to ensure continuous operation;

• capacity to back up another RTAC and continue the other


centre’s full capabilities;

• the capacity to collect all available data in real time


(seismic and oceanic), analyse and interpret the information,
and the ability to undertake numerical modelling; and

• a communications infrastructure capable of effectively


disseminating all information to all recipients.
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Recommendation 3:
Two or three RTACs only should provide the advisory
services to NTWCs in the overall IOTWS.

Recommendation 6:
The issue of two RTACs to issue information for the
one area (for redundancy and confirmation purposes),
provided that one centre was the primary source of
information, to be raised at the ICG II WG sessional meeting.

(Note. This issue is addressed in the draft document


Modalities of Operation –
a system of interoperable operational centres
to be considered at the Working Group sessional meeting
See R.7)
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Countries indicating an intention to establish a centre


with the capability of becoming a RTAC:
(at either Perth or Singapore – needs confirmation)

Australia
France (at La ReUnion)
India
Indonesia
Iran
Malaysia
Pakistan
Thailand
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Recommendation 7:
The ICG/IOTWS Perth Secretariat to prepare
a draft “umbrella” IOTWS operational directive
to be presented at the ICG-II sessional WG meeting.
(Now the draft document
Modalities of Operation –
a system of interoperable operational centres
(With an illustrative example network of RTACs)
to be considered at the working group sessional meeting.)

Recommendation 8:
English to be adopted as the common language
for regional advisory messages.

Recommendation 9:
Membership of WG4 to be reviewed at ICG-II.
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Country Member Singapore Hyderabad

Australia G D Crane + +
France (C Blondin) (+) +
Germany Prof S Dech (+)
India T S Kumar + +
Indonesia (Mr Suhardjono) +
Iran Dr N Zakir
Kenya Col Shem Amadi +
Malaysia K C Low +
Mauritius S N Sok Appadu + +
Pakistan A Mahmood
Singapore K L Leong + +
Sri Lanka G Dharmaratna
Thailand W Warakanok +
USA E Bernard (+) +

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