International Symposium on the lessons learnt from the 2018 tsunamis in Palu and Sunda Strait

Indonesia was hit by two destructive tsunamis in late 2018, which challenged our traditional understanding of tsunami hazard, warning and response mechanisms. The first event was the Palu and Donggala tsunami of 28 September 2018, following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Central Sulawesi, that killed about 4,340 people. The second was the Sunda Strait tsunami of 22 December 2018, following an eruption and partial collapse of the Anak Krakatau volcano, that killed about 426 people. Following the Palu and Donggala tsunami, the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) in collaboration with Indonesian authorities led by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs coordinated post-tsunami surveys by International Tsunami Survey Teams (ITST). These surveys, along with national surveys by Indonesia, were intended to contribute to the understanding of the characteristics and impacts of the tsunami, and to provide information to the Government of Indonesia for enhancement of tsunami risk management practices. The Symposium will make these results available to a broader audience, also from the wider region.

The UNESCO-IOC’s Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS), in its 12th session held in Kish Island, Iran (March 2019) recognised the Palu and Sunda Strait tsunamis as being very complex from an early warning perspective, emphasising the urgent need to update hazard assessments, strengthen warning capabilities and enhance community response. This is not only of relevance for Indonesia, but also for many other countries in the Indian Ocean region which are affected by tsunami threats.

In commemoration of one year of the Palu and Donggala tsunami, the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs (CMMA), the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education (MORTHE), the Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) jointly with the Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Centre (IOTIC) and ICG/IOTWMS secretariat of UNESCO-IOC and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), as well as the Indonesian Tsunami Experts Association (IATSi) will hold an International Symposium on “Lessons Learnt from the 2018 Tsunamis in Palu and Sunda Strait” on 26-28 September in Indonesia. 

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