TSU/MAB Coastal Hazards Project
On the occasion of World Tsunami Awareness Day 2021, the UNESCO-IOC Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Center (IOTIC) and Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) conducted an online webinar, held a youth video competition, and released new tsunami awareness products.
Winners of U-Inspire Tsunami Awareness Youth Video Competition. Select images to view videos.
The first session of the webinar focused on developing a strategic pathway for the IOTWMS within the context of UN Decade for Ocean Science. Around 100 participants attended this event including ICG/IOTWMS Tsunami National Contacts, Steering Group, Working Group and Task Team Members, Secretariat, IOTIC, and Invited Experts. The group met in plenary, as well as two break-out sessions discussing: (1) Tsunami warning, detection and dissemination; and (2) Tsunami risk, community awareness and preparedness. Opportunities were explored in how to best utilise the Tsunami Decade Programme within the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Four strategic elements were discussed in terms of their implementation pathways and outcomes:
To utilise these elements to achieve our goal of more timely warnings with reduced uncertainties delivered to at-risk communities that are 100% Tsunami Ready, the group made the following recommendations:
- Bridge the gaps between silos in tsunami early warning (i.e. upstream and downstream) by promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration.
- Link science and technology knowledge into training and policy.
- Include all levels of society in the tsunami warning and mitigation system.
- Integrate tsunami warning and mitigation into multi-hazard frameworks.
- Help build capacity in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
The second session of the webinar was a live-streamed public event. The event showcased the new UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready products and winners of the Indian Ocean Youth Short Video Competition on Tsunami Awareness.
The tsunami awareness products released by IOTIC included a video on Indonesia’s tsunami early warning system, InaTEWS; the Tsunami Ready Board Game; and 14 short animation videos introducing the Tsunami Ready indicators. Furthermore, IOTIC-BMKG is supporting the development of a Tsunami Ready training course that will be offered through the Ocean Teacher Global Academy. There will be three modules: Tsunami Ready for Decision Makers, Tsunami Ready for Community, and Tsunami Ready for Facilitators.
The U-Inspire Indian Ocean Youth Short Video Competition attracted 79 video submissions from around the Indian Ocean. The winners for each region were:
Eastern Indian Ocean: 1) Little Sea in Tompe, Indonesia by Sarah Adilah; 2) Living with the Sea, Indonesia by Vania Qanita Damayanti, Adrian Muhammad Fikri Suni & Nur Amri Firmansyah; 3) Atypical Tsunami and Solution, Indonesia by Muhyddin Aprizandy, Bobby Tegar Sanjaya & Muna Fauziah.
Indian Ocean Small Island States: 1) We Are Aware, Seychelles by Darius Ashvine Commettant, Shainarah Chandell Manisha Ragain & Ruth Abigail Nicole Henrie; 2) Public Tsunami Awareness, Maldives by Ahmed Yaeesh Shaheem; 3) Tsunami the Incoming Threat, Seychelles by Melchizedek Solin.
North West Indian Ocean: 1) Surviving Tsunami, India by Vandita Sariya; 2) Let’s Buck Against the Wave, Pakistan by Aneeqa Bibi, Humera Khan & Sania Mehmood; 3) Make Them Aware if You Care, Pakistan by Ayesha Nadeem.
Western Indian Ocean: 1) Good Wave Intentions, Kenya by Mahfudh Khamisi Omar; 2) Tsunami Exercise, Tanzania by Neema Tayai Mollel; 3) Do We Communicate Hazard and Risk of Tsunami, Tanzania by Yasin Ramadhan.
Our congratulations go to all the entrants of the competition. We would also like to express our sincere appreciation for the high quality and deeply meaningful messages of all the videos.
