Following the 2004 tsunami, the development of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) was initiated at the World Conference for Disaster Reduction in 2005 under the leadership of the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO/IOC). The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), adopted in Kobe in 2005, stresses that disaster risk reduction (DRR) must be

‘underpinned by a more pro-active approach to informing, motivating and involving people in all aspects of disaster risk reduction in their own local communities’.

A core message from the Kobe Conference in 2005 was that

‘to be effective early warning...

The impacts of the 2004 tsunami were most severe on the Andaman Coast devastating the provinces of Phang-Nga, Krabi, Phuket, Trang, Satun, and Ranong. Severely affected areas included Khao Lak and Phi Phi Islands (DDPM, 2008a). The tsunami left Thailand with over 8,300 Thais and foreign tourists dead or missing, and with over 9,500 houses, as well as other buildings, roads, bridges and physical infrastructure, damaged or destroyed (Steering Committee of the Tsunami Global Lessons Learned Project, 2009). Phang-Nga Province was the hardest hit, with the devastated area covering six districts, and 69 villages with 19,509 people affected. In Krabi...

In this section we examine the progress made in DRR and EWS development in Krabi Province since the 2004 tsunami. The discussion is framed using the key elements in the ‘people-centred early warning systems’ framework of: risk knowledge; monitoring and warning services; dissemination and communication and; response capacity (UN/ISDR PPEW, 2006). The PPEW suggests that a complete and effective early warning system comprises these four inter-related elements, spanning knowledge of hazards and vulnerabilities through to preparedness and capacity to respond (UN/ISDR PPEW, 2006). Best practice EWS have strong inter-linkages and effective communication channels between all four elements. In addition to...

This report reviewed the progress made in strengthening the institutions and policies guiding DRM and EWS development in Thailand. It analysed the efficacy of implementing guidance and policies for reducing community vulnerability to tsunamis at the national and sub-national levels with a focus on Krabi Province. The observations and recommendations provided in the previous sections relating to the four elements of people-centred EWS provide the basis for several broader conclusions.

The review indicates that since the 2004 tsunami, Thailand has made considerable progress in creating an enabling environment for promoting early warning approaches and in facilitating improved governance at national...