| IDMC 2005 program |

In October 2003, an Australian scientist presented a paper at an important scientific conference. He warned of an impending danger and the urgency to set up a warning system in an area which seemed very remote for such calamities to occur. While he was heard, he was not heeded and many scoffed at his warning. Unperturbed, he pressed on and tried to convince his other colleagues and to rally them to sound forth an alarm. Unfortunately, his cries went yet unheard.

14 months later, his predictions came horribly true as the world witnessed what was surely to be one of its greatest natural disasters as an under water sea quake off north-western Sumatra caused massive tidal waves that wrecked havoc to communities in 11 countries, over 2000 km apart, with a death toll of possibly over 200,000! The scientist was Phil Cummins and he was a seismologist presenting his warning at the Pacific Rim Tsunami Conference.