COAST-MAP-IO -A Hydrography-based contribution to tsunami preparedness in the Indian Ocean

Joannés Berque, Dmitri Travin, describes the COAST-MAP-10 project of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), which is contributing to the development of Tsunami preparedness in the Indian Ocean region. The focus of COAST-MAP-10 is to increase the capacity of countries to collect and use bathymetric and topographical data to support management of tsunami risk in coastal areas. The key objectives include enhancing available expertise to locally produce accurate bathymetric and topographic maps on either side of the high-tide line, offering the capacity to model tsunami arrival, and transferring the necessary skills to use bathymetric and terrestrial data sets in developing targeted maps and services. An avenue explored in COAST-MAP-10 to improve the chances of sustainability is to develop interests in, and benefit from, better coastal bathymetry and inundation modeling capacity. COAST-MAP-10 is part of an important IOC program, Integrated Coastal Area Management.