Countries in the North-Western region of the Indian Ocean (NWIO) are facing the threat of near-field tsunamis from the Makran Subduction Zone (MSZ). Although the MSZ is still not well understood, it can be concluded from past events such as in 1945, tsunami waves generated by a Makran source could reach the shores of India, Iran, Pakistan, Oman and other adjoining countries within a few tens of minutes with height of several metres, posing enormous challenges to existing tsunami warning systems. To address these challenges, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO is implementing a multi-national project aimed at “Strengthening tsunami early warning in the North West Indian Ocean region through regional cooperation”. Funded by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness, the project will enable better understanding of MSZ tsunami hazard and enhance preparedness of countries in the region to respond to a near-field tsunami threat. In its effort to improve tsunami warning chains, working processes on national level in each of the four countries involved (India, Iran, Pakistan and Oman) have been agreed upon and are backed-up by a series of regional meetings to facilitate joint learning and exchange of experiences. The joint working process follows a step-by-step approach, which first of all aims at the consolidation of national warning chains especially in line with the time requirements of near-field tsunamis from the MSZ. The process then supports the participating countries to adjust and improve their standard operating procedures (SOPs) along the warning chain involving national, regional/provincial and local levels as well as the media. UNDP Pakistan is implementing the “Tsunami and earthquake preparedness in coastal areas of Pakistan” project with financial support from the Government of Japan. The project is assisting national and sub national level disaster management institutions in Pakistan, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and other stakeholders for initiating policy discourse, improvement of existing capacity and institutional arrangement for tsunami and earthquake risk preparedness and response in the coastal areas. In terms of SOPs for early warning dissemination, UNDP intends to focus on addressing critical issues that hinders timely and accurate early warning dissemination. Both projects follow a consultative and multi-stakeholder process which includes a review of existing SOPs for end to end early warning to ensure that warning information and messages reach vulnerable coastal communities and if needed, evacuation procedures are timely completed within available lead time. Given the similar objectives and approaches as well as the same partner structure in Pakistan, close cooperation is in the interest of all actors involved. Against this background, it was agreed to organize and implement a joint workshop which focuses on tsunami warning chains and the related SOPs. The workshop will be hosted by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and take place in Karachi from 24 to 28 February 2020 with support from both projects.

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