• Struggling for survival
• 'Washed up' fishermen turn carpenter and build their own boats
• 'Tsunami village' rises from rubble
• Inspired by Church aid, sea gypsies turn to Christ
• Foreign aid crucial
• Body ID center looks future
• Shoddy housing doesn't make a home
• Outside volunteer carves new career in housing
• Counting the costs to the environment
• Underwater tourist trails
• Turtle hatchery at risk after waves
• Where the money went
• Covered for everything but the wave
• Corporations learn that caring counts
• Starting again from scratch
• Swedish survivor gains perspective after wave 'turned my life upside-down'
• Reasons to smile
• Justice will prevail, investor believes
• Courage and resilience ease personal pain
• Help wanted
• Second chance to get it right
• Tide turns on tourist demographics in Khao Lak
• Light on the horizon
• One day at a time
• Widows and orphans left out in the cold
• Art for the heart
RESCUE
Foreign aid crucial
Govt 'must work with international experts'
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| Such devices are installed in more than 60 spots in tsunami-prone areas. |
The government should show more willingness to work in partnership with the international community to establish the tsunami early-warning system, according to the head of an inter-governmental agency on disaster preparedness.
Foreign experts and foreign expertise are crucial to setting up the early-warning system, said Suvit Yodmani, executive director of the Pathum Thani-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC).
''Some government officers often claim that Thailand has the best experts in the tsunami and disaster warning field.
''That is not true. Such experts and expertise don't exist here. Saying so might boost people's morale, but it's not in tune with reality. We need experts from Western countries and Japan to help us set up disaster warning devices,'' Mr Suvit said.
The government has so far made admirable progress in creating the tsunami early-warning system.
The National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) has been established and $10 million (409.3 million baht) seed money has been given to support the ADPC's mission. However, much needs to be done before a reliable system is in place, Mr Suvit said.
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| A sign showing an evacuation route in case more monster waves hit the area. |
''We can't expect a perfect tsunami warning system just yet because it has been only one year [since the tsunami]. Even the United States spent more than five years creating its tsunami early-warning system in the Pacific.''
But, he said, Thailand and countries along the Indian Ocean coastline should be able to work faster than the US and Japan, as they can learn from their experience.
The key is that the agency in charge must not work alone, said Mr Suvit, referring to the NDWC, headed by Plodprasop Suraswadi, advisor to the Ministry for Natural Resources and the Environment.
''Many countries and foreign experts have questioned whether Thailand can go it alone. The government has to make clear that we are willing to work in partnership with other countries and inter-governmental organisations on this,'' said Mr Suvit.
It is envisaged that the early-warning system will consist of data buoys, tide gauges, seismic stations, a satellite communications system and warning towers on land. Such a system should belly operational by the end of next year, Mr Suvit said.
The system will provide accurate data about the occurrence and magnitude of tsunamis to the six countries struck by last year's disaster, in the first instance.
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| A service technician tests a tsunami warning signal device at a village news-broadcasting tower. |
However, a shortage of buoys is currently holding things up. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the only agency competent to manufacture high standard data buoys, doesn't have enough buoys to supply Asian countries.
''It will take at least one more year before they can supply the buoys for us and if we want to buy more advanced data buoys, we'll have to wait until 2008,'' said Mr Suvit. A minimum of three buoys, costing about 40 million baht each, are needed for placement in the Indian Ocean to establish the first stage of the system.
''The buoys are very important, but they're not everything,'' said Mr Suvit. ''While we are waiting for buoy supplies, the government should focus on establishing seismic stations and tide gauges, which are two instruments fundamental to the early-warning system.''
Mr Suvit said the ADPC has been helping the Thai government to install two tide gauges, one at Koh Taphao off the Phuket coast and the other at Koh Miang in the Similan Islands.
The United Nations, meanwhile, has already installed a tide gauge at the northern tip of Sumatra. This means that if the next tsunami comes from the same direction, people along the Andaman coast will get an early warning and have time to evacuate.
Mr Suvit said the establishment of the early-warning system was a political issue. Each country wanted to become the centre for the regional tsunami warning system because they would then be the prime beneficiaries of the system.
Working with international experts on disaster warning, such as the ADPC and the United Nations Inter-governmental Oceanographic Commission, would increase the country's credibility in becoming a regional centre for the warning system, Mr Suvit said.
But a buoy shortage is not the only issue holding up implementation of the system. Smith Dharmasarojana, assistant to the Prime Minister's Office Minister, blamed bureaucracy for sluggishness in installing the warning devices. He conceded that only 50% of the work, set for 62 points in the six coastal provinces, has been completed.
Work would have progressed faster had the officials involved decided to go for special procurement methods, instead of conventional ones, he said. However, no one would dare do so for fear of criticism over transparency.
''We have to choose the risky areas first. These areas include Khao Lak in Phangnga, where the death toll from the tsunami was high. All the work should be done by early next year,'' he said.
Moreover, Mr Smith said the early warning system cannot be 100% accurate until the data buoys have been installed. Buoys must be installed on the sea bed and on the water's surface. The submerged buoys send signals to -those at the surface which are then relayed to the NDWC via satellite. It will then take the NDWC five to 10 minutes to analyse the information and determine if a tsunami is approaching. If one is, the warning towers will be alerted.
Mr Smith said the evacuation drills are important in the absence of ally operational warning system. ''But two or three drills are not enough. We are not ready for the real thing,'' he said.
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