Early Warning, Disaster Preparedness, and Damage Prevention
To mitigate the damage and loss of life from future disasters, these programs help national, provincial and local governments develop better systems to alert those in danger and be more prepared for a variety of threats. Building up the international early warning system is also a priority through a multinational effort. Below are highlights of USAID's work in this area.
09/28/05
U.S. government launches program to support the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System
 At a meeting of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, experts from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association presented a design for the entire Indian Ocean tsunami warning system. USAID assisted the design team by assessing needs and capabilities in the region.
Tim Beans, Mission Director for USAID’s Regional Mission in Asia, stated, “This is one of our top priorities in Asia and an important part of the U.S. post-tsunami reconstruction effort…We are ready to help not only deploy the technologies needed to prevent future disasters, but to build up the human and institutional infrastructure to make sure these systems are interoperable and sustainable for years to come.”
09/28/05 Tsunami early warning system team “scopes” Sri Lanka’s needs
A multi-agency team coordinating the US government’s support for developing the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System met with officials of the Government of Sri Lanka, NGOs, private sector, donors, USAID and U.S. Embassy staff. The information gathered is critical to the two-year, $16.6 million regional effort. The purpose of the “scoping” trip was to present and discuss the warning system and to better understand early warning related efforts already underway or being planned in Sri Lanka.
The meeting helped USG agencies and implementers “redirect, refocus, and refine” proposed activity plans and get a first hand understanding of how different agencies work in Sri Lanka at the national and community levels. Based on strong participation of and positive feedback received from Sri Lankan counterparts, the team anticipates a solid partnership in Sri Lanka, making sure messages can be passed quickly and reliably to the community level and preparing communities to respond to different types of warnings.
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