11th March, 2019 The seventh meeting of the UNESCO/IOC PTWS Regional Working Group on Tsunami Warning and Mitigation in the Southwest Pacific got under way in Noumea, New Caledonia today (08 March 2019).
The one-day meeting was opened by the IRD Research scientist (oceanography) and Tsunami Warning Focal Point for New Caledonia Jerome Aucan.
The Regional Working Group for the Pacific Islands Countries and Territories (PICTs) has been established under the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (PTWS) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The PTWS has been functioning since the 1960s. The main purpose of the Working Group, which is comprised of member countries of the Pacific Community (SPC), is to improve tsunami warning and mitigation services and information sharing for this part of the world. One of its main objectives is to continually review and evaluate tsunami detection, warning and response capabilities of PICs and make recommendations for improvements to ensure a robust and reliable end-to-end tsunami warning and mitigation system.
Some of the key issues to be discussed in the one-day meeting include:
- Improvement of seismic and sea level networks and data sharing for more timely and accurate detection and monitoring of tsunami threat to countries,
- Improving warning delivery and response especially to a local tsunami,
- Tsunami training and capacity building needs of Pacific Island Countries,
- Creating practical and reliable tsunami evacuation maps, plans and procedures, and
- Making communities “Tsunami Ready”
According to the Chairman of the Working Group, Mr Ofa Fa’anunu of Tonga said, “in terms of warning and mitigation the priorities of the region moving forward is to (1) establish competency guidelines for national warnings centres to build the capacity of staff of national tsunami warning centres to be able to provide the appropriate warnings for their countries (2) establish warning guidelines for responding to local tsunami events which has the potential to cause loss of life and property and (3) to establish and deliver community ready guidelines so communities are able to better respond to tsunami.
The meeting is being attended by representatives from National Tsunami Warning Centres and/or National Disaster Management Offices of Southwest Pacific countries, Hawaii-based International Tsunami Information Centre which is also representing the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, the University of Hawaii Pacific International Training Desk, GNS NZ, the Geoscience Australia and IOC.
The meeting is supported by the French Government, Oceania Regional Seismic Network (ORSNET) project and UNESCO/IOC.
Contact details: For more information on this topic, please contact :
Mina VILAYLECK, Communication Adviser, IRD New Caledonia
mina.vilayleck@ird.fr | +687 792166 GMT+11
Jérome AUCAN, Oceanographer, IRD New Caledonia | Jerome.aucan@ird.fr
Bernard PELLETIER, Geologist, IRD New Caledonia | Bernard.pelletier@ird.fr
Pierre Lebellegard, Geologist, IRD New Caledonia | pierre.lebellegard@ird.fr