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.


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