Joint action on disaster watch

The disaster of Dec. 26 has crystallized concerns that were poorly supported or simply ignored before the great waves hit. Issues like environmental protection and cultural upheaval in tourist areas now are strongly debated. Inevitably, some issues currently considered urgent will fade once again into obscurity.

The head of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction says a tsunami warning system is simple and cheap -- US$20 million, or .005 percent of the aid funds raised from a generous world so far.

National disaster preparedness is absolutely necessary. It is just as clear that warnings of great natural calamities require cross-border cooperation. Next week's meeting in Kobe will show if the UN is fit to take charge of an effective warning system, and if the littoral nations of the Indian Ocean can cooperate for the greater good.

-- Bangkok Post