OCEANS Indian Tsunami Early Warning System: Future Developments

The Indian Ocean tsunami, triggered by the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake on December 26, 2004, caused approximately 2,30,000 casualties and widespread damage to infrastructure in several Indian Ocean rim countries. In fact, the 2004 tsunami was one of the strongest and deadliest ever recorded in terms of magnitude, which put into perspective the need to set up an early warning system for tsunamis in India. Following the 2004 tsunami, the Indian Tsunami Early Warning System (ITEWS) was established to provide early warnings on impending tsunamis triggered due to earthquakes in the Indian Ocean. This article describes various components of ITEWS, the decision support system and the bulletins. It also discusses issues, challenges and future developments.

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DISASTER MANAGEMENT Coastal Vulnerability and Risk Assessment

Dense population along the Indian coast impacts the coral ecosystems making them susceptible to natural and man-made hazards. This work assesses the physical vulnerability and socio-economic risks due to oceanogenic disasters at the regional as well as micro level. The study also encompasses the impact of sea surface temperature (SST) on coral ecosystems that leads to coral bleaching. The assessment of remote sensing data combined with geographical information system (GIS) technology provides meaningful information on coastal vulnerability and risk associated with oceanogenic disasters along the Indian coast holding immense relevance for disaster management.

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