The kick-off meeting for the project on “Improving Emergency Response to Ocean-based Extreme Events through Coastal Mapping Capacity Building in the Indian Ocean (COAST-MAP-IO)” was held in Bangkok, Thailand, 24-26 October 2007, with the kind support of Hydrographic Department, Royal Thai Navy (HDRTN).

As one element in the suite of long-term response, particularly on the Indian Ocean tsunami tragedy on 26 December 2004, to develop mitigating capacity to ocean-based extreme events, the COAST-MAP-IO aims to address the need for countries to acquire and utilize coastal bathymetry to develop various products mitigating against ocean-based extreme events. It further propose maximizing benefits from coastal bathymetry by transferring skills to create products for zonation decisions and rational use of coastal spaces, and therefore it is an important factor in meeting IOC principles of Capacity-building as well as UNEP Key Principle Guiding Coastal Reconstruction.

The objectives of this meeting briefed the participants on the project structure, objectives, outcomes of COAST-MAP-IO, finalize and approve an implementation plan and action plan which will guide the future implementation for this project.