A global tsunami warning system is going to be created

As the United Nations is on anactive move toward building an early tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean as well as a global network, a lot of challenges remain to be addres sed, officials and experts said Wednesday at the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/101/ ' target=_blank> World Conference on Disaster Reduction. An extra session on the establishment of the system was held onthe day, with another one scheduled for Thursday. One of the imperative issues is to establish an international coordination function in a bid to have coherent views between the entities concerned, said the report issued after the session. Since the Indian Ocean tsunami, many counties and internationalbodies, like the United States, Japan, Germany, Australia and the United Nations, have made proposals on dealing with tsunami &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/363/14794_quake.html ' target=_blank>disasters. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) is to convene in early March in Paris a technical meeting of experts from the interested member countries and relevant regional and international organizations. The meeting will seek to harmonize the different early warning initiatives emerging for the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/18/87/346/9683_exercise.html ' target=_blank>Indian Ocean and define the scope and characteristics of a global tsunami warning system, informs Reuters. According to ABC News, the United Nations says it will set up a global system to predict disasters but differences remain on whose technology will be used amid a rush of offers after Asia's tsunami tragedy. In a joint statement issued at a globe conference in Japan, UN agencies say that the world body's experts would create a system to reduce the risk of disasters. The announcement comes amid outrage that Indian Ocean nations had no warning before their coasts were battered last month. "The new program will bring safety, security and peace of mind," Salvano Briceno, director of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, said. "Millions of people worldwide owe their lives and livelihood to effective early warning systems." However, the announcement is largely symbolic. An official at the UN science agency UNESCO, which is spearheading the warning system project, acknowledges that more focused talks are needed.

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