**1. Introduction**

Recent events of cyclone (Gonu 2007 and Phet 2010) and tsunamis of Indonesia in 2004 and Japan in 2011 were the wakeup call for the scientific community and for developers, planners, and decision makers to prepare for a worst case scenario. Moreover, as a result of unplanned urban growth, negligence of construction standards, localized concentration of population and infrastructure, and the lack of awareness at the public and the institutional levels, coastal cities of developing countries are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of seismic hazards including tsunamis. Despite the tsunami's complex nature, its potential to create massive damage is compelling. Along coastal belt of Pakistan, many small fishing villages still lacking in basic communication infrastructure are extremely vulnerable to coastal hazards when personal notification is the only way of evacuation warnings. Most of these villages do not have landlines, electricity, roads, and mobile phone networks (**Figure 1**). Local conditions do not facilitate for any safe evacuation site nearby; details are discussed in Section 3.3.

**Figure 1.** View of Sonth Village, UC Basool, Tehsil Ormara, District Gwadar, Balochistan Province.

Historical evidence for tsunami along the shores of the Arabian Sea (Northern Indian Ocean) is rare and in cases contradicting. Out of several historical events the 1945 Makran earthquake is the only instrumentally recorded one that generated a tsunami. Therefore, the 1945 event serves as the basis for modeling approaches in early tsunami warning system which is currently being set up in Pakistan [1] (**Figure 2**).

National Tsunami and Cyclone Warning Center established at Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) [2] is being set up to watch, investigate, and warn about tsunami and cyclone threats to Pakistan coastline. The PMD established tsunami warning standard operating procedures (SoPs) in 2010 [3] and has categorized tsunamis in different types based on the size and location of the parent earthquake.

**1. Introduction**

136 Tsunami

Recent events of cyclone (Gonu 2007 and Phet 2010) and tsunamis of Indonesia in 2004 and Japan in 2011 were the wakeup call for the scientific community and for developers, planners, and decision makers to prepare for a worst case scenario. Moreover, as a result of unplanned urban growth, negligence of construction standards, localized concentration of population and infrastructure, and the lack of awareness at the public and the institutional levels, coastal cities of developing countries are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of seismic hazards including tsunamis. Despite the tsunami's complex nature, its potential to create massive damage is compelling. Along coastal belt of Pakistan, many small fishing villages still lacking in basic communication infrastructure are extremely vulnerable to coastal hazards when personal notification is the only way of evacuation warnings. Most of these villages do not have landlines, electricity, roads, and mobile phone networks (**Figure 1**). Local conditions do not

facilitate for any safe evacuation site nearby; details are discussed in Section 3.3.

**Figure 1.** View of Sonth Village, UC Basool, Tehsil Ormara, District Gwadar, Balochistan Province.

currently being set up in Pakistan [1] (**Figure 2**).

Historical evidence for tsunami along the shores of the Arabian Sea (Northern Indian Ocean) is rare and in cases contradicting. Out of several historical events the 1945 Makran earthquake is the only instrumentally recorded one that generated a tsunami. Therefore, the 1945 event serves as the basis for modeling approaches in early tsunami warning system which is

National Tsunami and Cyclone Warning Center established at Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) [2] is being set up to watch, investigate, and warn about tsunami and cyclone threats to Pakistan coastline. The PMD established tsunami warning standard A regional or local tsunami such as the one created in Arabian Sea in 1945 [3] might be more destructive for Pakistan's coastal belt than the one located farther in the Indian Ocean. Therefore, a dissemination of warning for local tsunami should be issued to the communities within 7–10 min of its origin, and usually, a possible threat of tsunami is proposed for an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 and above. A tsunami in the Indian Ocean might take as long as 10–13 h to reach and affect Pakistan's coastal areas. Henceforth, a warning for tsunami (as a possible threat) in this case is issued only if the earthquake magnitude lies within the ranges of 7.0 and above.

**Figure 2.** Makran and Indus Delta Creek region affected by 1945 Tsunami also covers communities studied.

This chapter analyzes the gaps in coastal hazard early warning system (EWS), specifically pertaining to dissemination of information along the coastal belt of Pakistan. Although EWS comprises of two components: (a) detection of threat and (b) subsequent relay of information, the chapter only focuses on the later.

This study sheds light on the challenges related to dissemination of early warnings of coastal hazards in Pakistan. It provides a comprehensive overview of the current arrangement for broadcasting a warning and limitations of the system (with references to sampled villages). The chapter also provides recommendations for division of responsibility and improvement of the system.
