Twelfth Session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Connected Seas (ICG/NEAMTWS-XII)

The Twelfth Session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas (ICG/NEAMTWS) was hosted by the Geological Survey of Ireland from 16–18 November 2015, Dublin.

Participants of the ICG NEAMTWS-XII, Dublin, Ireland, Source: IOC-UNESCO

While tsunamis are less frequent in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas than in the Pacific and Indian Ocean, the risk of loss of lives and economic disaster in the region is high due to strong population density and infrastructure development along its coasts. The ICG/NEAMTWS was established by Assembly of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) at its twenty-third session in 2005 by Resolution XXIII-14, with the mandate to coordinate the establishment of a tsunami early warning system for the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas.

Participants reviewed and affirmed the steady progress made in the implementation of the NEAMTWS since its initiation in 2005, particularly the progress achieved by the four Candidate Tsunami Service Providers (CTSPs) in France, Greece, Italy and Turkey. Greece informed ICG/NEAMTWS that its National Observatory of Athens (which acts as a Candidate Tsunami Service Provider) has applied for accreditation. The intention was expressed by France, Italy and Turkey for their respective CTSPs to also apply for accreditation in the next intersessional period.

The Group reviewed the NEAMWave 14 exercise which was conducted from 28-30 October 2014 and its contribution to the implementation of the tsunami warning system for the NEAM region by testing the system in both its up-stream, i.e. tsunami detection, and tsunami alert message delivery, and its down-stream, i.e. the reaction and response components. NEAMWave14, saw a significant increase in the participation of Civil Protection Authorities as compared to NEAMWave 12.

Following the success of the second tsunami exercise for the region, a full-scale exercise named NEAMWave17 is planned in 2017 to test the tsunami readiness of the system and of the Member States.

ICG/NEAMTWS also decided to start conducting quarterly Extended Communication Test Exercises based on a scenario event and encourages Member State Civil Protection Authorities to be involved.

ICG/NEAMTWS recognized the need to continue to exchange information with ICG of the Caribbean Tsunami Early Warning System (ICG/CARIBE-EWS).

The twelfth session of ICG/NEAMTWS was attended by 46 participants from 16 member states and one observer organisation. New officers of ICG/NEAMTWS were elected - Professor Ahmet Yalciner (Turkey) as chair and Dr Anna von Gyldenfeldt (Germany) and Dr Stefano Lorito (Italy) as vice chairs.

The Government of Romania through its National Institute for Earth Physics offered to host the thirteenth session of ICG/NEAMTWS in Bucharest from 26-28 September 2016.