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The extraordinary devastation and destruction brought by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami served as a wake-up call for coastal communities around the globe. For the peoples of Pacific Island countries, this catastrophe is particularly significant as the region's remoteness, small population, and fragile infrastructure makes it particularly vulnerable. Recognizing the role that public awareness and education programs play in reducing vulnerability, the Pacific Disaster Center, south Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (sOPAC), and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission's International Coordination Group for the Tsunami Warning system (ICG/ITsU) in the Pacific collaborated on the development of a "Tsunami Awareness Kit" to help protect lives and property from future catastrophes. This kit is a collection of resources (flow charts, CD-Rom, reference materials, brochure, model visualization) that can be used to brief stakeholders, government and community leaders, as well as communities on the potential impacts and hazards that result from tsunamis, so that they can both respond to tsunamis and reduce their vulnerability. Many kit materials are applicable to the entire Pacific Islands region, while others are country-specific. The kit addresses the informational needs of three primary audiences - the general public, disaster managers, and government officials. The kit contents are categorized into "general resources" (applicable to all), and audience-specific resources : Disaster Managers (Tsunami Detection and Warning systems; Emergency Planning and Procedures); Government Officials (Guidelines for Risk Reduction); Businesses (Emergency Planning); Educators (Tsunami Curricula; Additional Educational Materials). supplemental publications and newsletters are provided on the TAK CD-ROM as reference materials. They cover such topics as mitigation, risk communication, response planning, tsunami sign placement guidelines, tsunami history for Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and the solomon Islands, and preparedness measures that reduce tsunami risk. Those with access to computers will find additional resources on the Tsunami Awareness Kit CD-ROM - including a digital presentation created by Fiji's Mineral Resources Department (in both English and Fijian), and a tsunami model visualization for suva created by the Pacific Disaster Center. (UNEsCO)