Current Affairs - Miscellaneous - Discussion

India along with 23 other nations participated in a major Indian ocean-wide tsunami mock drill which will involve evacuation of thousands of people from coastal areas in over half a dozen coastal states. The exercise, known as 'IOWave18', is being organised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, which coordinated the setting up of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) in the aftermath of December 2004 tsunami. The primary objective of IOWave18 exercise is to enhance tsunami preparedness at community level. The purpose of exercise is to increase tsunami preparedness, evaluate response capabilities in each state and improve coordination throughout the region.