JRC/DG-ECHO/UNESCO-IOC Joint Hybrid-Workshop on Local Tsunami Warning in the context of Multi-Hazard Disaster Risk Mitigation in the NEAM region - Requirements, Challenges, Opportunities

Time

12:30 - 9:30 p.m., 4 October

9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., 5 October

(GMT+2)

Background

The classical tsunami warning methodology mainly addresses tsunamis due to earthquakes depending on the reliable identification of earthquake parameters, which generally dictates >7 min before the initial tsunami warning is issued with acceptable reliability. This may sound fast, however, such a delay may still be late for some coastal locations, where the tsunamigenic earthquake sources are located very near to the shoreline. In addition to the historical 1908 Messina Strait earthquake and tsunami, 2018 Palu, 2018 Anak Krakatau and 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai are other events that clearly remind us the urge the relevant communities to fill the gaps of local/near-field tsunami warning in the context of multi-hazard monitoring and early warning systems.

In that respect, coastal community tsunami resilience requires an integrated, multi-disciplinary and multi-hazard-oriented approach, as underlined by the target (g) of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction: which aims to substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030.

Local tsunami warning systems configured as part of multi-hazard early warning systems coupled with earthquake or volcano early warning systems could in theory reduce the warning time significantly and could help the evacuation process, especially in coastal communities with low awareness of the tsunami threat after a strong earthquake or volcanic activity. In fact, the inadequacy of centralized tsunami warning systems at the local level based on determination of earthquake parameters – might perhaps be only remedied by having such systems embedded in the National Tsunami Warning Centre (NTWC)-Tsunami Service Provider (TSP) operational framework. This would have to be a close collaboration between dedicated local or community–based tsunami awareness and preparedness programs, where different stakeholders are involved.

Several attempts were made to address this gap, ranging from conceptual systems to pilot implementations. In the meantime, there are also important developments in the publicly available earthquake early warning systems around the globe, and the need to address meteo-tsunamis in the context of tsunami early warning has also been recognised.

Objective

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is closely involved in the work of the UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) contributing to its work in many aspects: from the generation of tsunami scenarios to the provision of operational tsunami early warning software and inexpensive sea-level devices (IDSL) globally, or initiatives towards establishing Tsunami Ready communities in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The JRC develops innovative technological solutions for disaster risk management, including newly designed sensors and alerting devices for tsunami risk. The Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) has funded the test of their effectiveness and interoperability during 2018-2021, through the Tsunami Last Mile projects, as implemented first in Greece and Turkey (2018/2019) and then in Malta and Indonesia (2020/2021) through “Last Mile” projects.

One of the most recent examples of such collaboration in capacity building was the DG-ECHO / UNESCO-IOC project “Strengthening the Resilience of Coastal Communities in the North-East Atlantic and Mediterranean Region to the Impact of Tsunamis and Other Sea Level-Related Coastal Hazard (CoastWAVE)“. This initiative started in late  2021, aimed to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities in the North-East Atlantic, Mediterranean and its connected seas (NEAM) region to tsunamis and other sea level-related hazard by adapting Global Tsunami Ready Standards and Guidelines and pilot Tsunami Ready within the framework of the ICG/NEAMTWS and providing a sustainable sea-level measurement network.

Based on the framework described above, this workshop will bring earthquake, volcano and tsunami (including meteo-tsunami) early warning experts to discuss in detail the requirements of effective local tsunami warning in the multi-hazard disaster risk mitigation context. The outcome report of the workshop is expected to assist the development of an integrated, truly multi-hazard oriented coastal community resilience policy brief for Europe.

Links

• More information on UNESCO IOC Tsunami Programme
• More information on the Joint Research Centre and DG ECHO contribution to the work of the UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC): https://webcritech.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ AND https://drmkc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/events-news/newsletter/newsletter-21
• More information on UNESCO-IOC project “Strengthening the Resilience of Coastal Communities in the North-East Atlantic and Mediterranean Region to the Impact of Tsunamis and Other Sea Level-Related Coastal Hazard (CoastWAVE)“

Registration

Please note that in presence participation is limited due to COVID-19 restrictions. A separate confirmation e-mail will be sent to all participants that have selected in presence participation to inform them about their participation mode. For those participants where in presence participation cannot be accommodated, registration requests will be accepted as online participants. Applicants are therefore requested to not to finalize their travel arrangements until a separate confirmation e-mail has been received, currently scheduled to be disseminated on 20 September 2022. Thank you for your kind understanding.