The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System became active in late June 2006.
The system was created after the devastating 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami exposed the region’s lack of a coordinated warning network. The disaster killed or left missing roughly a quarter of a million people and affected countries around the Indian Ocean, many of which had little time to receive or communicate alerts.
UNESCO led the effort to establish a regional system. It was agreed upon at a United Nations conference in Kobe, Japan, in January 2005, and became active in late June 2006. The network combined seismic stations, national tsunami information centers, and deep-ocean DART buoys. International data were processed and shared so national authorities could issue local warnings and evacuation instructions.
The dates in the answer choices can be confusing. 2004 is the year of the disaster that prompted the system, while 2005 was the year of the planning agreement. The system itself became active in 2006. It was not yet operational during the July 2006 Pangandaran earthquake and tsunami, which occurred shortly after the late-June launch.