Plans and procedures for tsunami warning and emergency management

This manual seeks to assist countries participating in the IOC-coordinated regional Tsunami Warning and Mitigation Systems in strengthening their existing tsunami warning and emergency responses through the development of Tsunami Warning and Emergency Response Plans and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It relates to tsunami warning authorities (referred to as National Tsunami Warning Centres - NTWCs) and to tsunami emergency management authorities (referred to as Emergency Management Agencies - EMAs), promoting alignment, interoperability and consistency among all stakeholders in the end-to-end tsunami warning system.

This manual provides guidelines for an end-to-end tsunami warning system (TWS), the essential functions of a NTWC and the relationship of an NTWC to ICG Tsunami Service Providers (TSPs) and other NTWCs, and on the linkages between the NTWC and the EMA with a description of the procedures to be adopted by the latter as recipients or potential recipients of warnings from their NTWC, and their subsequent response actions.