1. Response to seismic hazards
Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System

3. Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System
International community agreed to develop a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean at a UN conference in Kobe, Japan - January 2005
IOTWS design and technology largely developed by the USA in collaboration with Australia, Chile, Indonesia and China
IOTWS has cost $150 million (£94 million) to date - largely financed by Japan and India
UNESCO now co-ordinates the international co-operation/funding, trains decision-makers and broadcasters, teaches tsunami awareness etc.

4. Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System
The IOTWS uses more advanced technology than the Pacific Ocean Tsunami Warning System - leapfrogging technology
9 deep ocean tsunami detectors (tsunameters)
100 sea level stations (tide gauges) on coasts
140 broadband seismometers including some on ocean-bed
26 national warning systems in countries around the Indian Ocean

7. DART buoys
DART = Deep ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami

11. Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System
National governments also need to warn their citizens:
SMS messages
radio/TV broadcasts
sirens on dedicated platforms
mosque loudspeakers
police vehicles with loudspeakers

12. Evacuation routes and evacuation centres

13. Tsunami drills

14. Evaluation - critical gaps
Difficulties with tsunami education outreach (explaining natural warning signs and knowing what to do) due to linguistic diversity in rural areas and remote communities
Further investment needed to maintain preparedness and ensure local communities are properly linked to their national warning systems
Warning systems cannot reach communities very close to where the tsunami was generated (e.g. earthquake epicentre) quickly enough

15. Banda Aceh 2012 8.4 magnitude earthquake close to Banda Aceh
Only took 8 minutes for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to be alerted by the IOTWS
Took 20 minutes for tsunami warning to reach sirens in Banda Aceh province because of an electricity grid failure