CARIBE WAVE exercise continues to promote tsunami preparedness even despite the ongoing pandemic situation
The annual CARIBE WAVE exercise for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions has been improving and validating tsunami readiness since 2011. The 2021 exercise took place on March 11 in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Despite the ongoing coronavirus emergency implications, the UNESCO IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions decided to continue with the exercise. The CARIBE WAVE Task Team recommended for countries to plan and execute accordingly, and take into consideration national and CARIBE EWS COVID-19 guidelines.
The exercise included two components, communications from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the Regional Tsunami Service Provider, and evaluation of the tsunami procedures and programs within Member States/Territories. Two scenarios were tested: Jamaica and Northern Lesser Antilles. The first scenario simulated a tsunami generated by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake located along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone (EPGFZ); the second scenario was a tsunami generated by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake located Northeast of the Leeward Island.
Tamarindo and Sámara, Costa Rica, recognized Tsunami Ready
On February 8th, 2021, Tamarindo and Sámara were recognized as Tsunami Ready by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. They joined Ostional and El Coco as Tsunami Ready communities in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Their main activities are tourism activities in connection with nature.
Tamarindo is subject to tsunami hazard and at the same time is a high spot of national and international tourism. That is why the touristic sector, grouped at the Integral Development Association (Asociación de Desarrollo Integral de Tamarindo, ADI-Tamarindo), took a very active role during the process of Tsunami Ready recognition. They organized their staff, lead the evacuation plan development, put the evacuation route signs, created a English/Spanish video for tourists and organized the tsunami exercise. Tamarindo performed an online tabletop due to pandemics, on September 2020
In Sámara, all neighborhoods participated, created their own warning dissemination system, and supported the deployment of the tsunami evacuation signs donated by the International Migration Organization (IMO). Sámara Elementary School performed a tsunami evacuation drill as part of the National Earthquake Drill in 2019.
Countries in NEAM region Prepare for the fourth Regional Tsunami Exercise (NEAMWave21)
Countries in the North-eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Connected Seas (the NEAM region) will participate in a tsunami test and response exercise from 8 to 10 March 2021. NEAMwave21 will coincide with the 10th commemoration of 11 March 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate local tsunami response plans, increase tsunami preparedness, and improve coordination throughout the region. It is the fourth such international exercise in this region after NEAMWave12 (2012), NEAMWave14 (2014) and NEAMWave17 (2017).
Coping with Covid19: Gauging sea level rise in Karachi
Despite Covid-19 restrictions, UNESCO together with the UK National Oceanography Centre enabled Pakistan to repair the Karachi tide gauge, key instrument to monitoring sea level data for Pakistan and the region.
In operation for over 15 years, the Karachi gauge provides valuable sea level data from an under-sampled region of the world to the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS), coordinated by the UNESCO’s IOC. The gauge’s operation was interrupted for a short period during 2019 and 2020, due to hardware failures.
Support from UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and from the UK National Oceanography Centre enabled the Pakistan Hydrographic Department to carry out all the necessary repairs to the Karachi tide gauge despite severe Covid-19 restrictions in place, assuring a continuous monitoring of tides and flow of sea level data for national, regional and global sea level rise modelling.
Coping with Covid19 - Awards Ceremony in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, for the winners of the “Tsunami Ready Youth Art Competition in the Caribbean”
Within the framework of the Union European ECHO funded project "Strengthening Capacities for Early Warning and Response to Tsunamis and other Coastal Threats", the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO delivered the recognitions and awards to three students from the Polytechnic Professor Santos Rommel Cruz from León of the municipality of San Felipe de Puerto Plata. They were national winners of the Regional Visual Arts Contest for young people “Tsunami Ready”. This activity was postponed due to sanitary measures and restrictions due to Covid-19. With all due measures the activity has now been completed, thans to the perseverance of national and local partners.
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About the Tsunami Programme
The Indonesian coast, between Banda Aceh and Meulaboh, after the earthquake and the tsunami of 26 December 2004. Photo by Evan Schneider © UN Photo
UNESCO supports Member States in improving capabilities for tsunami risk assessment, implementing early warning systems and enhancing preparedness of communities at risk. UNESCO works closely with national institutions and promotes inter-institutional and regional cooperation. Specialized regional centers provide tsunami information that, together with national analysis, is the basis of the warnings issued for the public. In addition, UNESCO promotes community-based approaches in the development of response plans and awareness campaigns which strongly involve education institutions and end-users.
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