The Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE-EWS) was established in 2005 and is currently comprised of 32 Member States and 16 Territories in the Caribbean. The ICG/CARIBE-EWS coordinates international tsunami warning and mitigation activities, including the issuance of timely and understandable tsunami bulletins in the Caribbean and adjacent regions.  The guidelines for the ICG/CARIBE EWS activities are compiled in the CARIBE EWS Implementation Plan

In recent years, there has been a considerable population growth and influx of tourists along the Caribbean and western Atlantic coasts increasing the tsunami vulnerability of the region. Available seismic data and historical records show that the region is highly exposed to tsunamis and other coastal hazards. Historical trends suggest that potentially destructive tsunamis occur at an average rate of 1-2 per century in the Caribbean. The importance of coastal zones in the economic activities of Caribbean countries augments the vulnerability to tsunamis and other coastal hazards and increases the underlying risk factors. It is acknowledged that the potential for human and economic loss is severe. On any day, it is estimated that about 500,000 people could be in harm’s way just along the beaches.

The risks of major earthquakes in the Caribbean and adjacent regions, and the possibility of a resulting tsunami, are real and should be taken seriously.

OFFICERS

Chairperson

Mr Gerard Metayer (Responsable du Dossier Tsunami, Service Maritime et de Navigation d'Haiti, Haiti)

Vice-Chairpersons

Ms Regina Browne (Deputy Director, Planning & Preparedness, Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency, USA)

Mr Anthony Murillo Gutierrez (Sistema Nacional de Monitoreo de Tsunamis (SINAMOT), Costa Rica)

Ms Marie-Noëlle Raveau (Disasters management and public awareness, Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique, France).