13th Session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System

The IOC-UNESCO Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) held its thirteenth session in Bali, Indonesia during 28 November to 1 December 2022. The meeting was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia through the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG).

Photo: In-person participants at the Thirteenth Session of the ICG/IOTWMS, Bali, Indonesia, 28 November – 1 December 2022.

The meeting was held in hybrid format (in-person and online) and was attended by 54 delegates from 17 Member States in the Indian Ocean region (Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates), 4 staff from United Nations agencies (including 3 from UNESCO and 1 from UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific)),and 10 observers from 5 countries (Australia, Germany, Indonesia, Iran and Oman).

Opening remarks were provide by Dr. Itje Chodidjah (Head of the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO), Mr. Rick Bailey (Head of the ICG/IOTWMS Secretariat; on behalf of the Executive Secretary of UNESCO-IOC), and Prof. Dwikorita Karnawati (Chair of ICG/IOTWMS).

Some of the key outcomes of the session included: (i) Focused efforts on supporting the UN Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme goal of 100% of at-risk communities resilient and prepared for tsunamis; ii) Extension of Tsunami Service Provider (TSP) and national efforts to help warn and respond to tsunamis generated by non-seismic and complex sources; and (iii) Organisation of a symposium in 2024 for the 20^th Commemoration of the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004.

The ICG decided to continue: Working Group 1 on Tsunami Risk, Community Awareness and Preparedness; Working Group 2 on Tsunami Detection, Warning and Dissemination; the Sub-Regional Working Group for the Northwest Indian Ocean; and Task Team on Scientific Tsunami Hazard Assessment of the Makran Subduction Zone. The ICG decided to establish a new Working Group 3 on Tsunami Ready Implementation and a new inter-sessional Task Team on Exercise Indian Ocean Wave 2023. Additionally, the Secretariat will liaise with Member States representing African States, SIDS and LDCs as high priority, to ascertain if other regional or sub-groups need to be established to facilitate capacity development and regional cooperation.

The ICG elected officers for the next intersessional period are Prof. Dwikorita Karnawati of Indonesia, who will serve a second term as Chair, Dr. Yuelong Miao of Australia who will serve a first term as a Vice-Chair, and Mr. Pattabhi Rama Rao of India who will serve a second term as a Vice-Chair.

The ICG accepted with appreciation the kind offer of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia to host the fourteenth session of the ICG/IOTWMS in 2024 to coincide with the 20th Commemoration of the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. Further, the ICG accepted the kind offer of the Sultanate of Oman to host the fifteenth session of the ICG/IOTWMS in 2026.

The Decisions of ICG/IOTMWS-XIII will be submitted to the 32^nd IOC Assembly in June 2023.