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Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme

Context

Recently, twenty-four coastal villages in Odisha were recognised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO as ‘Tsunami Ready’.

Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme

Objectives and Goals

• Aim: The primary aim is to build resilient communities that are well-prepared and informed about the necessary actions to take before, during, and after a tsunami, thereby reducing potential damages and casualties.
• Main Goal: The central goal of the programme is to improve coastal community preparedness for tsunamis through awareness, education, and actionable strategies. This includes the development of effective response plans that can be swiftly executed in the event of a tsunami.

Implementation and Requirements

• Community Involvement: The programme operates through active collaboration among various stakeholders including national and local warning and emergency management agencies, government authorities, scientists, community leaders, and the general public.
• Indicators of Preparedness: To achieve the ‘Tsunami Ready’ recognition, communities must meet 12 specific indicators that encompass three critical areas:
  • Assessment: Evaluating tsunami risks and vulnerabilities within the community.
  • Preparedness: Establishing and promoting preparedness measures including education and planning.
  • Response: Developing and implementing effective response strategies that can be rapidly deployed.
• Recognition and Renewal: Communities that successfully meet all the indicators are officially recognized as ‘Tsunami Ready’ by UNESCO/IOC. This recognition is subject to renewal every four years to ensure ongoing compliance and adaptation to any changes in risk or best practices.

Significance and Impact

• Performance-Based: The programme is voluntary and performance-based, encouraging communities to proactively improve their tsunami readiness.
• Enhanced Safety and Resilience: By meeting the established criteria, communities not only enhance their safety but also bolster overall resilience against tsunamis, potentially reducing the impact on both human lives and economic stability.
• Global and Local Collaboration: It promotes a comprehensive understanding of readiness that involves both global knowledge and local action, integrating scientific insights with community-based initiatives.

Tsunami Overview:

• Tsunami is a series of massive ocean waves caused by seismic activities like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions beneath the ocean.
• Characterized by long wavelengths and high energy, tsunamis can traverse entire ocean basins, leading to extensive destruction upon reaching coastlines.
• These waves can reach considerable heights, moving swiftly over deep waters and slowing down in shallower areas.

Factors Behind Tsunami Creation:

• Underwater Earthquakes: Shifting tectonic plates generate seismic waves, propagating through water and creating tsunamis.
• Volcanic Eruptions: Volcanic activity, especially under the ocean, displaces water, triggering tsunamis, particularly during volcanic island collapses or explosive eruptions.
• Landslides: Underwater landslides, caused by various factors, displace water, generating significant tsunami waves.
• Meteorite Impact: Rare but possible; the impact of a large meteorite or asteroid in the ocean can create tsunami-like waves.
• Underwater Explosions: Human activities, such as underwater explosions, have the potential to generate tsunamis.

Devastation Caused:

• Tsunami waves, traveling at high speeds across the open ocean, unleash devastating force upon reaching coastal areas.
• Unique energy and wavelength characteristics differentiate them from regular ocean waves, causing widespread damage during inundation.

Tsunami Preparedness:

• Early warning systems and preparedness measures play a crucial role in minimizing the impact of tsunamis on coastal communities.
• Swift responses and effective communication are essential components of mitigating the destructive effects of tsunamis.

Tsunami Preparedness in India:

• India actively participates in the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS).
• The system includes seismic and sea-level sensors strategically placed to detect underwater earthquakes and monitor sea level changes.
• Information collected is utilized to issue timely warnings to coastal communities.

Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC):

• The Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) is situated at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in Hyderabad.
• ITEWC provides tsunami advisories to stakeholders.

Public Awareness and Education:

• INCOIS, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), conducts mock drills and organizes workshops/trainings on tsunami awareness and preparedness.

Enhancing Community Preparedness:

• INCOIS coordinates the implementation of the UNESCO-IOC “Tsunami Ready” initiative to enhance community preparedness.
• Villages like Venkatraipur and Noliasahi in Odisha have been recognized as Tsunami-ready communities by UNESCO-IOC, making India the first country in the Indian Ocean region to achieve this distinction.

Software and Multimode Dissemination:

• INCOIS has the necessary software for monitoring earthquakes and multimode dissemination of early tsunami warnings.
• The Decision Support System software automatically generates and disseminates warnings, integrating with the NDMA Common Alert Protocol (CAP) system.
• INCOIS has developed the “SAMUDRA” mobile application for effective access to marine users for ocean data resources and advisories.