In December 2011, the TCS noted that the ESCAP Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness in Indian Ocean and South East Asia was willing to finance projects in the area of the coastal multi-hazards.

This Trust Fund, which was established in 2005 with the overall objective of building and enhancing tsunami early warning capacities, has enlarged its scope and has made known through a Strategy Note issued in November 2011 that it was open to other coastal hazards besides tsunamis.In this Strategy Note it was mentioned that “mechanisms facilitated by ESCAP will be utilized, including the Panel on Tropical Cyclones, Typhoon Committee …”.

In this connection, TCS consulted the TC AWG and the Secretary of the Panel on Tropical Cyclones and formulated, with the collaboration of other entities, the project Synergized Standard Operating Procedures for Coastal Multi-Hazards Early Warning System (SSOP) and applied for funds.

Due to the limited time frame for submitting the application (15 January 2012), it was not possible to submit to the Committee, whose 44th Session would be on 06-11 February 2012,the application for endorsement. However,TCS presented to the Committee the version which was not yet approved at that dates, and the Committee has expressed its concurrence with the efforts made, through Paragraph 189 of the Report of the 44th Session (The Committee took note of the submission of the project “Synergized Standard Operating Procedures for Coastal Multi-Hazards Early Warning System” for grant funds from ESCAP Trust Fund for Tsunami Disaster and Climate Preparedness. The Committee would proceed with the project should funds become available).

During the drafting of the application, AWG members, particularly Mr. Edwin Lai and Mr. Masashi Kunitsugu provided their constructive comments and advice, and TC Members, particularly China, Japan, Hong Kong-China, Malaysia, Thailand and USA provided useful information. WMO, ESCAP, ADRC and IOC have also contributed with their comments and suggestions.

After several submissions of different versions of the Project, the Secretary of TC was authorized by the Chairperson of TC, Ms.JIAO Meiyan, to sign the final version of the Letter of Agreement between ESCAP and TC, on behalf of the Committee, on the 1st August 2012.The Circular Letter TCS/210-2012, dated 08 August, with copies of the Letter of Agreement, Annex I (Terms of Reference, Activity Work Plan and Budget) and Annex II (Standard Terms and Conditions) was sent to all Directors and Focal Points informing on the signing of the Letter of Agreement.

Following telephone conference between representatives of ESCAP, WMO, TCS and Secretariat of PTC, on 12 September 2012, it was established that a kick-off meeting would take place in ESCAP Headquarters, in Bangkok, on 22-23 October 2012, in which it was recommended a meeting of representatives of ESCAP, WMO, PTC, TC, ADRC with the Chairs of the WGs of TC, on 25 November, eve of the 7th TC Integrated Workshop, in Nanjing, so that the SSOP project could be considered a crosscutting project of TC and PTC. In this meeting the Terms of Reference of the Task Force and the Terms of Reference of the Project Manager of the SSOP project were discussed. It was also recommended by AWG to create a Steering Committee for SSOP and to submit to the TC 45th Session, for formal approval, the implementation plan of SSOP, together with the budget and other recommendations.