Indian Ocean Member States Get Ready for IOWave23 Tsunami Preparedness Exercise

The UNESCO-led Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) is gearing up for its seventh ocean-wide tsunami readiness exercise, known as Indian Ocean Wave 2023 (IOWave23). Twenty-five countries are expected to take part in the three-week exercise, scheduled from 4-25 October 2023, with several countries involving their local communities.

Tsunamis, while infrequent, pose a significant threat in terms of both loss of life and destruction. To ensure readiness for these rare but high-impact events, regular tsunami simulation exercises are essential.

In a departure from previous exercises, conducted since 2009, the IOWave23 edition will simulate various scenarios, including a volcanic eruption in the Southern Ocean, resulting in a regional tsunami event. The simulation will also include seismic scenarios involving magnitude 9 earthquakes in the Andaman, Makran, and Java trenches. Governments can choose to participate in one or more of these scenarios.

The objectives of the IOWave23 Tsunami Exercise go beyond testing procedures and communication links; it aims to enhance tsunami preparedness at the community level. Governments will have the opportunity to assess their communities’ levels of preparedness using the IOC/UNESCO Tsunami Ready programme indicators, which cover tsunami assessment, preparedness, and response.

Preparations for IOWave23 began with informative sub-regional training workshops. These online workshops reviewed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Tsunami Service Provider (TSP) products, setting the stage for a successful exercise. Western Indian Ocean countries convened on 3-6 July 2023, followed by Eastern Indian Ocean countries (10-13 July 2023), and North-Western Indian Ocean countries (7-8 August 2023).

Detailed information regarding the IOWave23 Tsunami Exercise, including essential documents and National Exercise Contacts, can be found here. 

Explore past exercises from 2009 to 2020 on http://iowave.org.

Stay updated with the latest exercise developments on X via @iowave23.

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