Indian Ocean Countries Test Tsunami Preparedness down to Community Level during Exercise IOWave16

Twenty-four countries* bordering the Indian Ocean participated in a large scale tsunami simulation exercise organised under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO on 7 and 8 September 2016. The exercise, known as Indian Ocean Wave 2016 (IOWave16), tested communication links between all stakeholders of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS), as the rapid transmission of messages between authorities and populations at risk is crucial to save lives in the event of a tsunami.

The exercise comprised two scenarios: the first simulated an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 south of Sumatra, Indonesia, on 7 September; the second simulated an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 in the Makran Trench south of Iran and Pakistan on 8 September. Operations began when the Tsunami Service Providers of Australia, India and Indonesia issued alert notifications to the 24 IOTWMS Member States. Simulating tsunami waves travelling across the Indian Ocean, the exercise was conducted in real-time and lasted about 12 hours each day. 

Photo: National and international emergency responders practice mock medical aid during Exercise IOWave16 in Tasi Tolu, Dili, Timor-Leste, 7 September 2016 (Eivind Oskarson, UNRCO Timor-Leste).

The exercise included community evacuation drills, involving around 60,000 participants, in Australia, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Mauritius, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Timor Leste. In Sri Lanka 14 villages evacuated, involving some 7,000 participants. In Oman eight schools and about 8,000 students took part in simulated evacuations. In India, community level evacuations were carried out in about 350 villages involving 40,000 participants.  An evaluation is being conducted to identify gaps and weaknesses in the system and to improve the IOTWMS.

Photographs and videos of Exercise IOWave16 are available at iowave16.org. There was considerable media interest in the exercise, and some 112 news articles and videos have so far been noted. A list of these news links is available for download here.

*Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France (Réunion), India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Yemen.

Madame Irina Bokova met with the Vice Chairman of ICG/IOTWMS in Sri Lanka

Madame Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, met with Professor S.S.L. Hettiarachchi, the Vice Chairman of the UNESCO/IOC Intergovernmental Coordinating Group of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS), in Sri Lanka during the Science Dialogue held at Hotel Galadari on 16th August 2016. 

Prof. Hettiarachchi iterated the strong cooperation between the Tsunami Unit of UNESCO/IOC in Paris, the ICG/IOTWMS Secretariat in Perth, the Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Centre (IOTIC) in Jakarta, and the Tsunami Service Providers (Australia, India, and Indonesia) in supporting the India Ocean member states. In particular, the successful operation and implementation of all elements of the IOTWMS including training of responders and enhancing preparedness of coastal communities exposed to tsunami threats was highlighted.

Photo: Prof. Hettiarachchi presented a copy of the UNESCO/IOC Guideline on Tsunami Risk Assessment and Mitigation for the India Ocean (No 52 Revised Edition, 2015) to Madame Irina Bokova.

"Pre-IOWave16 Training/Workshop on Tsunami Awareness and Preparedness and Standard Operating Procedures for Tsunami Warning and Emergency Response" in Mozambique and Tanzania

Mozambique and Tanzania hosted training workshops on "Tsunami Awareness and Preparedness and Standard Operating Procedures for Tsunami Warning and Emergency Response", in preparation for Exercise Indian Ocean Wave Exercise 2016 (IOWave16), a regional tsunami simulation exercise set for 7-8 September 2016.

Left: Mozambique participants working in groups discussed the tsunami hazard and risk in Mozambique's coastal areas; Right: Tanzanian participants conducted a table-top exercise to test their standard operating procedures on tsunami early warning (Photos provided by IOTIC)

Based on the Jakarta Office of UNESCO, the Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Centre (IOTIC) of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) is implementing the project: “Fostering Tsunami Preparedness, Response and Mitigation in the Indian Ocean Small Island Developing States and Developing Countries” funded by the Malaysian Funds-in-Trust (MFIT). The project aims to strengthen the capacity of Indian Ocean Member States in tsunami preparedness and response and promote full participation and implementation in the tsunami early warning in the Indian Ocean. This MFIT Project focused on two Indian Ocean Small Island Developing States (Mauritius and Seychelles) and two Indian Ocean African Coast Countries (Mozambique and Tanzania).

The training workshops were held in Maputo (13-17 June 2016) and Dar es Salam (20-24 June 2016), and were attended by thirty-six and thirty-three participants, respectively. Participants represented national disaster management offices, disaster response agencies, media and university students. Local organization, logistics and administration were supported by the UNESCO Offices in Maputo and Dar es Salam. The trainings covered topics such as tsunami hazards in the Indian Ocean – with a focus on those affecting the Eastern African Coast –; tsunami preparedness from risk assessment and evacuation planning to awareness and education; tsunami warning standard operating procedures; and focused preparation for September’s IOWave16 tsunami simulation exercise.

The training workshops will ensure that Mozambique and Tanzania institutions have the capacity to actively participate in Exercise IOWave16.

Pre-IOWave16 Workshop on Standard Operating Procedures for Tsunami Warning and Emergency Response for Indian Ocean Countries

The ICG/IOTWMS pre-IOWave16 Workshop on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Tsunami Warning and Emergency Response for Indian Ocean countries was held in Melbourne, Australia, 9-13 May 2016, hosted by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.  The workshop was attended by twenty-eight participants from twelve countries, namely: Australia, Comoros, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Oman, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand and Timor-Leste.  The workshop was conducted by a team of nine trainers from Australia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Center and IOC UNESCO.

The workshop targeted Indian Ocean countries that intend to participate down to community level in the IOWave16 Exercise, which is scheduled for 7-8 September 2016.  The objectives of the workshop were to assist the ICG/IOTWMS Member States to develop integrated end-to-end SOPs for tsunami warning and emergency response; to assist Disaster Management Organisations to develop SOPs for implementing national and local responses to tsunami warnings issued by the National Tsunami Warning Centres; and to prepare Member States to conduct the IOWave16 Exercise.

The workshop programme included lecture sessions, breakout group work, a tabletop simulation exercise and a site visit to the Joint Australia Tsunami Warning Centre, one of the three ICG/IOTWMS Regional Service Providers.  Lectures and training material were based on manuals and templates developed by IOC UNESCO in collaboration with the NOAA International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC) since 2008. 

The workshop also marked the start of UNISDR’s programme of activities leading towards the UN-designated World Tsunami Awareness Day on 5th November 2016, the theme of which is “Effective Education and Evacuation Drills”.  The IOTWMS will participate in World Tsunami Awareness Day as a means of raising awareness of tsunami hazards in the Indian Ocean and the IOWave16 Exercise in September will form an integral part of IOTWMS’ contribution to the programme of events.