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World Tsunami Awareness Day 2021 Pacific Webinar: International Cooperation for Tsunami Warning and Mitigation in Pacific Island Countries

Organizer(s) United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

Event language(s)

English

Date

3 November 2021

Register here

Speakers

H.E. Mr. KAWAKAMI Fumihiro Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Fiji

Ms. Esline Garaebiti Director General Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management, Vanuatu	Mr. Arona Ngari Director, Cook Islands Meteorological Services

Mr. Marco Toscano-Rivalta Chief, Regional Office for Asia-Pacific UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)	Mr. Ofa Fa’anunu Vice chair, Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/PTWS)

Ms. Litea Biukoto Team Leader Disaster Risk at the Geoscience, Energy and Maritime Division, the Pacific Community (SPC)	Dr. Laura Kong Director of International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC), Hawaii

Background

In 2021, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) will position the World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) as an opportunity to advocate for reducing tsunami risk globally in the context of the “Safe Ocean” outcome of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and the promotion of International Cooperation to Developing Countries, the chosen target for this year’s edition of the Sendai Seven Campaign.

WTAD will highlight the role that international cooperation to developing countries has played in the raising of tsunami awareness and will continues to play in pursuing the societal outcome of “A Safe Ocean” as part of Ocean Decade “with the aim of making 100% of communities at risk of tsunami prepared for and resilient to tsunamis by 2030 through the implementation of the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Programme and other initiatives” according to the decision of the 31^st Session of the UNESCO-IOC Assembly.

The UNESCO-IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/PTWS) coordinates efforts of members states within the entire Pacific basin in strengthening national and regional tsunami warning and mitigation systems. The ICG/PTWS Pacific Island Countries and Territories Working Group on Tsunami Warning and Mitigation (WG-PICT) coordinates tsunami warning and mitigation efforts of member states from Pacific Island Countries and Territories. PICT Member states engaged in the design of the Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme are pleased that WTAD21 provides the opportunity to promote and build support for the Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme.

WTAD plays an important role in promoting efforts to reduce tsunami risk through initiatives such as the expansion and maintenance of tsunami early warning systems across the world’s oceans; the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Programme; inclusion of tsunami risk in national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction (target (e) of the Sendai Framework) and the Partnership for Strengthening School Tsunami Preparedness in Asia Pacific supported by the Government of Japan.

Objective

The WTAD21 Pacific Webinar has two major goals;

Promote tsunami Disaster Risk Reduction awareness among Pacific Islands Countries and Territories (PICT) and development partners to inform partnerships and innovation that unlock and enhance international cooperation.
More support from international community is given to PICT in strengthening their national and regional tsunami warning and mitigation system.