Eighteen countries review measures to improve tsunami preparedness in the Pacific

Paris, 17 February

• © UNESCO

Following several tsunamis and large earthquakes that have recently affected the South Pacific, 50 representatives from 18 of the region’s countries and many observer organizations are examining ways to improve protective measures against the threat of tsunamis. The meeting is taking place in Apia, Samoa, from 16 to 18 February.

Participants will assess the findings of a Pacific-wide exercise of the Pacific Tsunami Warning System conducted on 29 October 2008, in terms of warning and emergency communication, national and local awareness and preparedness. They will also examine strategies that address near-source tsunamis and their threat and impact on coasts just minutes away; measures to enhance and strengthen regional cooperation in the Southwest and Southeast Pacific Ocean and along the Central American coasts; and a review of the warning system’s detection and monitoring components.

The Member States attending the meeting, the 23rd session of the Intergovernmental Co-ordination Group (ICG) for the Pacific Tsunami System, have identified their needs and provided detailed suggestions for improvements. Participants are expected to map the way forward for the regional tsunami system which has been operating under the aegis of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) in cooperation with the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii and Japan’s Meteorological Agency since 1965.

Chaired by Giorgio de la Torre (from Ecuador), the meeting is held at the invitation of the Government of Samoa. Regional cooperation in this area has been reinforced following the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, notes the Head of the IOC’s Tsunami Unit, Peter Koltermann. “The lessons learnt have stimulated cooperation and encouraged taking responsibilities,” he said.

* A near-source tsunami is caused by an earthquake or other tsunami source within an hour's travel-time from the source.

• Author(s):Media Advisory N°2009-07
• Source:UNESCOPRESS
• 17-02-2009