Setting a Benchmark for the Development of Tsunami Standard Operating Procedures through CoastWAVE Project

IOC-UNESCO EU-DG ECHO CoastWAVE project partners held their first workshop on Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in the region of Northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean and the connected seas (NEAM) on 5 October 2022. At the end of this workshop, participants were better equipped to advance the development of national SOPs for tsunamis in their respective country and in the implementation of IOC-UNESCO Tsunami Ready Recognized communities. The workshop was organized in partnership with the European Commission, Joint Research Center (EC-JRC) at the JRC, Ispra, Italy.

The Technical Secretary of ICG/NEAMTWS, Dr. Denis Chang Seng in the opening said  “Several workshops and trainings have been carried out over the years by IOC-UNESCO and partners in the Pacific, Caribbean and Indian Ocean to support the development of tsunami SOP and that this workshop will set a benchmark for tsunami SOP development in NEAM region in the context of the CoastWAVE project by sharing experiences and lessons learned from ICG of Pacific, Indian and Caribbean Oceans”.

Bernardo Aliaga, Technical Secretary of ICG Pacific and Caribbean Tsunami Warning Systems (PTWC and CARIBE), Rick Bailey, Technical Secretary of Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) and Denis Chang Seng, Technical Secretary of ICG/NEAMTWS shared information and practical exercises to the project participants on SOP development.

Dr. Derya Vennin, project coordinator and Assoc. Project Officer of  IOC-UNESCO elaborated on the roles and responsibilities of actors across the end-to-end tsunami warning chain based on Manual and Guidelines of IOC. She underscored that “SOPs should be established at each stage and for each stakeholder along the end-to-end tsunami warning chain” and she also added:

“SOPs aim to achieve efficiency and high-quality performance during real events while reducing the risk of miscommunication, and non-compliance between stakeholders.”

From left to right (standing): Rick Bailey, Ignacio Aguirre Ayerbe, Amr Hamouda, Didem Cambaz, Ahmet Cevdet Yalciner, Suzan M. El-Gharabawy, Denis Chang Seng, Nikos Kalligeris, Pauline Galea, (sitting): Khalid El Khalidi, Bernardo Aliaga, Derya Itir Vennin, Esmeralda Borja Aviles, Daniele Alberto Galliano, Ocal Necmioglu. Photo Credit: Piero Cruciaiti

The project partners from Cyprus (Geological Survey Department of Cyprus), Egypt (National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries), Greece (National Observatory of Athens), Malta (Department of Geosciences), Morocco (Laboratory of Marine Geosciences and Sciences, Spain, Environmental Hydraulics Institute, Spain and Türkiye (Middle East Technical University and Bogazici University) presented their existing national and local status of SOP, which varies from country to country. The participants had engaging discussions and exercises concerning national and local SOPs and governing SOP frameworks and regulations of each representative country. During the functional exercises, participants learned how to tackle adversities for a potential real tsunami situation, following step-by-step actions of the role of the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) and, Emergency Management Agency (EMA).

The organizers of the workshop would like to express their sincere thanks to all twenty participants and partners who made the discussions meaningful and productive. As we progress in our achievement of developing SOP plans within CoastWAVE project objectives, we look forward to the outcomes of this workshop.

Visit the OceanExpert workshop web page for more information, including presentations and activities.