Effective tsunami warning for all in the community requires rapid and reliable processes for detection and monitoring, the decision to warn, the generation of a warning by the national warning provider, and dissemination of the warning along a functioning national tsunami warning chain to reach communities at-risk in a timely manner. Integrated and timeline driven Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at all levels for organisations involved are essential to achieve this.

The UNESCO-IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning & Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) supports Indian Ocean Member States in developing the necessary capacity to operate such warning processes in their countries by providing guidelines, training, advice, exchange of experience, and regular exercises. At the 13^th Session of the ICG/IOTWMS during 28^th November – 2^nd December 2022, in Bali, Indonesia, it was decided to hold two SOP training workshops in the inter-sessional period: one workshop for Western Indian Ocean Member States (Comoros, France Indian Ocean Territories, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania) and one workshop for Eastern Indian Ocean Member States (Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste). North-West Indian Ocean Member States (India, Iran, Pakistan, Oman, United Arab Emirates) have recently received extensive SOP training as part of the UNESCAP funded project “Strengthening tsunami warning in the North-West Indian Ocean through regional cooperation” and will have a separate SOP workshop to review progress.

This hybrid four-day SOP training workshop for Western Indian Ocean Member States during 03 - 06 July 2023 will provide an opportunity to share the latest information regarding the development and status of SOPs along the tsunami warning chain at all levels in the Member States, provide conceptual input, discuss, and exchange experiences, and identify areas where improvements are needed. Accordingly, it is essential for each Member State to have representatives from the designated National Tsunami Warning Centre (NTWC) and from all the National, Provincial and Local Disaster Management Organisations (N/P/LDMOs) involved in the national tsunami warning chain.

After the relevant authorities and national organisations have reviewed and updated their roles and responsibilities in the national tsunami warning chains, a further workshop will be held on 16^th August specifically for the awareness and development of SOPs for the broadcast media, given their important role in the national tsunami warning chain. The upcoming Exercise IOWave23 in October this year will subsequently provide an excellent opportunity to test the national tsunami warning chains and their underpinning SOPs.

The Concept Note is available here.