Broadcasting Media as part of the Tsunami Warning Chain

In order to strengthen the engagement of media broadcasters in the tsunami early warning processes in the Makran region, a webinar was held on 17th June 2021 as a contribution towards the UNESCAP-funded project “Strengthening tsunami early warning in the North West Indian Ocean through regional cooperation” (TTF-29). The event was organized by Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Center (IOTIC), Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS), and TTF-29 Project Team. In total 63 participants attended this event from Australia, Germany, Indonesia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), UNESCAP and UNESCO.

Dr. Mohammad Mokhtari, Chair of the Subregional Working Group for the North West Indian Ocean,  opened the webinar followed by Ms. Ingrid Dispert representing UNESCAP as the project donor, and Ms. Nora Gale of the ICG/IOTWMS Secretariat. Engagement of the media in the tsunami early warning processes in the Makran region was strengthened through discussion on the role of broadcasting media in the tsunami early warning chain and exchange of practical experiences from the region and beyond.

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The Tsunami Snapshots: A New Spotlight on Regional and National Tsunami Warning and Mitigation Systems

The new Tsunami Snapshots aim to bring the work of the IOC-UNESCO Regional Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation Systems to a wider audience. This intiative takes place within the framework of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and its goal of a Safe Ocean.

The Snapshots will provide regular updates of our work, highlighting key achievements and opportunities, Tsunami Ready communities, and tsunami events, as well as information on Tsunami Service Providers and Tsunami Information Centers. There are four Snapshots, featuring activities in 1) the Caribbean sea and adjacent regions (ICG/CARIBE-EWS), 2) the Indian Ocean (ICG/IOTWMS), 3) North-Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas (ICG/NEAMTWS) and 4) the Pacific Ocean (ICG/PTWS). 

To download the Snapshots select the image on the right-hand-side.   

Emerging Pilot Tsunami Ready Initiatives: Italy’s Civil Protection Council of Ministers establishes the Italian National Tsunami Ready Board, a first in NEAM Region

To better prepare for tsunamis, there is a need to focus on tsunami education as much as early warning facilities and systems. Currently, there are no established community tsunami recognition programmes in the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean and Connected Seas (NEAM) region like in other regions (Caribbean, Indian Ocean and the Pacific). Nonetheless, the Tsunami Ready (TR) pilot programme in the NEAM region is getting traction. Tsunami Ready is a performance-based recognition awarded to coastal communities that have established effective preparation measures to respond, save lives and minimize the loss of property in the event of a tsunami.

In April 2021, under the Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG) / NEAMTWS framework, a Tsunami Ready Team was established under the leadership of Working Group 4 (Public Awareness, Preparedness and Mitigation), tasked with coordinating, developing and recommending strategies, actions and an implementation plan for community Tsunami Ready in NEAMTWS. In parallel to this process, several countries, including Italy, France, Greece, Portugal Spain and Turkey have started identifying pilot sites, as well as piloting Tsunami Ready initiatives in NEAM region.

In 2020, Italy, for example launched three TR pilot projects in Minturno in Lazio region, Palmi in Calabria region and Pachino/Marzamemi in Sicily. These municipalities are situated in areas that are characterized with tsunami hazard ranging from high to moderate levels and are suitable sites to test the applicability of TR in the Italian context.

Aerial views of Minturno-Scauri by Paola Rotasso and Riccardo Clemente

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CARIBE WAVE exercise continues to promote tsunami preparedness even despite the ongoing pandemic situation

The annual CARIBE WAVE exercise for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions has been improving and validating tsunami readiness since 2011. The 2021 exercise took place on March 11 in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Despite the ongoing coronavirus emergency implications, the UNESCO IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions decided to continue with the exercise. The CARIBE WAVE Task Team recommended for countries to plan and execute accordingly, and take into consideration national and CARIBE EWS COVID-19 guidelines.

The exercise included two components, communications from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the Regional Tsunami Service Provider, and evaluation of the tsunami procedures and programs within Member States/Territories. Two scenarios were tested: Jamaica and Northern Lesser Antilles.  The first scenario simulated a tsunami generated by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake located along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone (EPGFZ); the second scenario was a tsunami generated by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake located Northeast of the  Leeward Island.

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