The U.S. Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System

The U.S. Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) Program was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented from August 1, 2005, to March 31, 2008. The $16.6 million US program involved several partner agencies with specialized expertise and technical resources for the region. In addition to USAID, these agencies included:

• the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
  
• the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
  
• the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service (USDA/FS), and
  
• the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).
  

USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) in Bangkok managed the program with the coordination support of a contractor that served as the Program Integrator (PI), a consortium of technical organizations led by the IRG-Tetra Tech Joint Venture and including the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) and the University of Rhode Island.

The objective of the U.S. IOTWS Program was to provide strategic support to the international effort led by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission to develop an operational IOTWS that provides integrated end-to-end capabilities at the regional, national, and local levels within a multi-hazard framework.

Following the December 2004 Tsunami, the international community took a series of steps to initiate a coordinated effort to develop an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS). Working through a series of meetings convened by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the governments of the region agreed to develop an IOTWS within an interconnected network to be coordinated through an Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG) under the auspices of the IOC.

Following completion of the Program, U.S. Government agencies and Program partners will continue to provide technical guidance and capacity building through to help ensure the long-term sustainability of Program tools, products, and initiatives.

Click here for further information on the Program activities, outcomes, and plans for sustainability.