Project organizations and partners

This project is a Joint Initiative between the Tsunami Unit (TSU) of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB) which benefits from and builds on the complementary expertise and experience of both groups.

Under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the TSU supports the 150 IOC Member States in assessing tsunami risk, implementing Tsunami Early Warning Systems (EWS) and educating communities at risk about preparedness measures. The TSU has demonstrated strong capacity to coordinate and support tsunami preparedness efforts through their Tsunami Ready programme, which also provides strong foundations and processes for developing preparedness and response plans under this Joint Initiative. Four communities in Costa Rica have been recognized by IOC as Tsunami Ready, including Quepos, a bordering city of the Savegre Biosphere Reserve. 

The MAB Programme is a scientific programme of UNESCO which supports sustainable use and conservation of biosphere resources and improvement of human-environment relationships, including through the designation of Biosphere Reserves. Management of and support to Biosphere Reserves has endowed the MAB with unique knowledge about characteristics, needs, and processes of these sites. In addition, the Ibero-American and Caribbean Network of MAB Committees and Biosphere Reserves (IberoMAB) held a symposium in 2018 on natural disasters in Biosphere Reserves which provides initial ideas and information on managing such events in Biosphere Reserves.  

The Joint Initiative is being coordinated jointly between the TSU and MAB headquarters and the UNESCO San Jose Office in Costa Rica.

Other institutions and partners:

- Comisión Nacional de Emergencia (CNE)
- Comisión Municipal de Emergencia (CME) of Quepos
- Municipalidad de Quepos (local government)
- Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
- Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación (SINAC)
- Asociación Amigos de la Naturaleza del Pacífico Central y Sur (ASANA)
- Sistema Nacional de Monitoreo de Tsunamis de Costa Rica (SINAMOT), Universidad Nacional Costa Rica (UNA)
- Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR)

Project Guiding Committee

The Guiding Committee of the TSU-MAB Joint Initiative was established to provide a platform for regular communication between the key project stakeholders, thereby enabling project coordination, monitoring and evaluation. The Guiding Committee met regularly throughout the project implementation period, approximately every two to three weeks.

The principal objectives of the Guiding Committee were to:
- Review implementation progress against agreed timelines and plans, share project achievements and outputs, and discuss unanticipated issues or challenges,
- Agree on how to address specific challenges and any related updates to project plans and processes,
- Coordinate efforts between the various stakeholders involved in the Project, including outreach with municipal and regional authorities who need to be engaged in the Project, and
- Ensure regular and fluid communication between key stakeholders throughout the Project process.