Dear Readers,

The year 2004 ended in a tragedy of unprecedented scale and dimension. Many lessons can be drawn from a disaster that affected nine countries on two continents and claimed over 300,000 lives. One important lesson that emerged from the disaster is the need for monitoring and early warning systems. The loss of human life would have been considerably less had coastal communities had more knowledge and greater awareness of a tsunami risk. The extent of the disaster brought to light the overall lack of awareness and low level of national preparedness. It is imperative therefore that we build systems to make our communities safer and educate citizens on the nature of these threats and the preventive and protective measures that can be taken.

On a happier note, I am very pleased to announce that ADPC has been granted status as an Inter-governmental Organization by the Royal Thai Government. This is a significant milestone in the history of ADPC. Endorsement came with the official signing of the Charter by six signatory states: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, The Philippines and Thailand, on February 28, 2005 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by China and Sri Lanka on April 5, 2005. Our new status is recognition of the capacity and relevance of ADPC’s disaster reduction work in the region. We are grateful to all the nations, partners and well-wishers who have placed their faith in us. With our new status comes more responsibility and a continued commitment to help make communities more resilient and safe. I would also like to take this opportunity to remember the late Col Brian Ward, who played such an important role in laying the foundation for ADPC's international status.

In closing, I hope you will find this issue of the Asian Disaster Management News on “Early Warning for Natural Disaster Mitigation” timely, informative and useful.

Dr Suvit Yodmani,
Executive Director