UNESCO -IOC Tsunami Ready Workshop..

Telangana, Hyderabad: Dec 12 (HS): “Tsunami Ready” is a community performance-based programme that promotes tsunami preparedness through the active collaboration of the public, community leaders, and national and local emergency management agencies. Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Center of Unesco – Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC UNESCO) introduced the Indian Ocean Tsunami Ready concept in the Indian Ocean Region.

In this regard, INCOIS is organizing the “UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Workshop” for Disaster Management Offices of the Coastal States and Union Territories. The workshop is jointly organised by INCOIS, Integrated Coordination Group for Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) and Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Centre (IOTIC) of UNESCO-IOC during 10-12 December 2019 at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad.

The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Sateesh Shenoi, Director, INCOIS in the presence of Dr T. Srinivasa Kumar, Head of ICG/IOTWMS Secretariat and  Ardito Kodijat, Head of IOTIC and  E. Pattabhi Rama Rao, Head of Tsunami and Storm Surge Early Warning Group, INCOIS. Around 25 disaster management officials from all coastal States/UTs are participating in the workshop. The workshop is expected to help the Disaster Management Agencies of the coastal states and UTs to understand the Tsunami Ready concept and the necessity to prepare plans, maps & procedures required to implement the programme.

A National Board was constituted under the Chairmanship of Director, INCOIS with members drawn from Ministry of Earth Sciences Government of India (MoES), National Disaster Management Authority, India (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Odisha State in close collaboration with Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), Directorate of Disaster Management (DDM), Andaman & Nicobar Islands and INCOIS to supervise and monitor the implementation of Tsunami Ready Recognition programme in India. Based on the recommendations of the National Board, INCOIS has initiated capacity building programme to familiarize the Coastal States and UTs for implementation of the Tsunami Ready Programme in India.

Odisha implemented the Indian Ocean Tsunami Ready (IOTR) programme on a pilot basis in 6 villages and tested it during the IOWAVE18 Exercise. The National Board will visit these villages after this workshop, for verification as per the IOTR Guidelines.