PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM MEETING REINFORCES COMMITMENT

UNCLAS APIA 000004 DEPT PASS TO EAP/MTS, OES, EAP/ANP COMMERCE FOR NOAA USAID FPR RDMA/BANGKOK AND ANE INTERIOR FPR USGS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV AEMR XB XV SUBJECT: PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM MEETING REINFORCES COMMITMENT TO ACTION ¶1. (U) Summary: USDEL reported to Post on the 23rd Session of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission's Intergovernmental Coordination Group on the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/PTWS) held February 16-18 in Apia, Samoa. The Session made important progress in defining an interoperable system of national and regional tsunami warning systems to complement the international warning and advisory services the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) and the Japan Meteorology Agency's Northwest Pacific Tsunami Advisory Center (NWPTAC) provide. Tsunami warning and mitigation requirements for the Southwest Pacific small island nations were identified, a medium term strategy and new PTWS structure adopted, and new officers elected. These actions reinforced the PTWS' emerging emphasis on Member States committing to the PTWS and taking responsibility for national and sub-regional tsunami warning and mitigation. End summary. ¶2. (U) Key Outcomes: The ICG/PTWS adopted a new Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) and a new organizational structure to meet unique Pacific Ocean basin requirements while aligning the PTWS with the Global Ocean-related Hazards Warning and Mitigation System framework and IOC Executive Council guidance in Resolution EC-XLI.6 that calls for similar structures across the ICGs. The MTS adopts three "pillars" of risk assessment and reduction; detection, warning, and dissemination; and awareness and preparedness that rest on foundational elements of interoperability, research, capacity building, and funding and sustainability. The new organizational structure includes technical working groups aligned with the three MTS pillars and four regional work groups to address issues specific to the Southwest Pacific, Southeast Pacific, Central American Pacific Coast, and the South China Sea. The Session also established a Steering Committee comprised of the officers, working group chairs, and the PTWC director to guide intersessional ICG/PTWS activities. The Session adopted an implementation plan in principle, but did not review or discuss it in plenary. ¶3. (U) Other Decisions and Recommendations: The ICG/PTWS made a series of decisions to promote seismic and sea level data sharing among member states; define regular Pacific Ocean basin tsunami exercises and to use these exercises to evaluate both national warning centers and new products and services from the PTWC and the NWPTAC; and to address emergency communications needs for small island nations in the Pacific. The Session recommended to the Assembly that the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) terms of reference be evaluated and modified to include sea level observation requirements for operational tsunami warning and mitigation systems. Finally, the Session requested web services and information support from the Secretariat, noting that information posted on the IOC web sites is incomplete and that there is a need for PTWS information to be available to all PTWS Member States. ¶4. (U) New Officers Elected: The ICG/PTWS elected a chair (Ecuador - Mr. Giorgio de la Torre) and two vice chairs (Japan - Mr. Yohei Hasagawa and Independent State of Samoa - Ms. Filomena Nelson). It is significant that developing nations now occupy two of the three officer positions given the new chair's emphasis on Member State commitment to and responsibility for an effective PTWS. The Session also elected working group chairs for Risk Assessment and Reduction (France - Dr. Francois Schindele); Detection, Warning, and Dissemination (U.S. - Mr. David McKinnie); and Awareness and Response (New Zealand - Mr. David Coetzee). Malaysia (Dr. Mohd Rosaidi) was elected as chair of the new South China Sea working Group. The IOC Executive Secretary will invite Member States to name representatives to the working groups. ¶5. (U) China: an Interest in Data Sharing? China is donating seven seismic stations to the Government of Independent Samoa. China Earthquake Administration staff, as well as staff from the China State Oceanic Administration and the Hong Kong Observatory participated in the ICG/PTWS. The China delegation approached the U.S. and other delegations to state their interest in ensuring seismic data from their stations were shared among Member States and became part of the PTWS detection network. Member states welcomed the Chinese initiative, which led to formation of a new working group task team focused on seismic data sharing in the Southwest Pacific. The USDEL and SOA representatives also discussed real-time exchange of sea level data for tsunami warning purposes. ¶6. (U) Other Results: Samoa's hosting of the Session afforded an opportunity to focus on the Southwest Pacific and small island nations in particular. An unusually large number of small island nations participated and contributed to ICG recommendations and decisions that focused on improving tsunami warning services to the Southwest Pacific. A sidebar USDEL discussion with the New Zealand delegation on GEO/GEOSS sparked a discussion internal to New Zealand that is expected to result in a more consistent and unified New Zealand engagement in GEO/GEOSS. Samoa stated an interest in learning more about GEO/GEOSS. Member States expressed their appreciation for PTWC and International Tsunami Information Center support and services in Plenary, Sessional work groups, and sidebar discussions. ¶7. (SBU) IOC Secretariat Support: Member States expressed concern about lengthy delays in providing meeting reports, incomplete Secretariat support for ICG/PTWS XXIII, and attempts by the Secretariat to unduly influence Member State discussions. Working closely with the Chair and other Member States, the USDEL helped to fill the gaps in support and to ensure Member States, not the Secretariat, drove discussion on the issues. Session decisions that referenced Secretariat support included deadlines and other metrics to measure Secretariat responsiveness. ¶8. (U) U.S. Participation in the Session: The U.S. participated actively in plenary and in Sessional working groups. U.S. chaired the recommendations committee and was vice chair of the committee that evaluated and substantially revised the medium term strategy, PTWS structure and draft implementation plan. USDEL members were Mr. David McKinnie (NOAA - head of delegation); Mr. Edward Young (NOAA); Dr. Charles McCreery (NOAA),and Mr. Bernard Kilonsky, (GLOSS/University of Hawaii). Meeting documents and other information are available from David McKinnie (HYPERLINK "mailto:david.mckinnie@noaa.gov"david.mckinni e@noaa.gov). The USDEL expressed its thanks to Embassy Apia for its support. YEAGER