These guidelines aim to facilitate the assessment and mitigation of the risks from tsunamis to coastal communities, their infrastructure and other supporting systems, as a necessary complement to the various detection and warning systems under development for Indian Ocean countries within the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS).  The Guidelines describe procedures for assessing and improving awareness of the tsunami hazard and for assessing coastal communities’ vulnerabilities and deficiencies in preparedness. They provide recommendations for good practice in the management of the risks by enhancing their preparedness for emergency response and by strategic mitigation.