![]() ![]() There is little time left before it hits the coast. The tidal wave is already in sight of the Lesser Antilles. Other exposed regions, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean, have also adopted Early Tsunami Warning Systems based on the Pacific model. UNESCO’s role now includes prevention, preparing communities to respond to tsunami threats and fostering the latest tracking and detection technologies. The scale of the disaster highlighted the need for a warning alert system in the Pacific, where most of the world’s deadliest tsunamis occur. Over the years, the alert system has evolved beyond issuing warnings. The 9.5 magnitude earthquake in Chile, the largest recorded in the 20th century, set off a tsunami that battered the South American coastline for over 4,000 kilometres with waves up to 25 metres high.įifteen hours later, the tsunami, which by then had travelled 10,000 kilometres, struck Hawaii, then Japan and the Philippines. After the 1960 Chilean tsunami, which left a trail of death and damage as far away as Japan, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) stepped in to set up the Pacific Ocean Tsunami Warning System, the first of its kind. Preventing large-scale disasters calls for a high degree of international and multilateral cooperation. Authorities in all neighbouring countries are immediately alerted: the rapid transmission of information to dedicated centres is vital to lessen the damage caused by tsunamis. Nearly 160 million people are in imminent danger.Īntigua feeds the data on the force of the approaching wave into the Tsunami Warning System, which alerts all observatories in the region. The larger islands – Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico – as well as the communities in the Gulf of Mexico and coastal Venezuela, are also under threat. The smaller, ocean-facing Antilles are on the frontline of the looming wave. But they can also trigger other cataclysmic natural hazards.Īs the seabed suddenly rises, it displaces colossal volumes of water, producing powerful waves that spread outward in all directions, just like the ripples from a stone thrown into a pond. Strong earthquakes are highly destructive in their own right. Just as the plate slips along the Caribbean fault line, a massive burst of energy akin to a nuclear warhead explosion sets off a giant shockwave 25 kilometres beneath the planet’s surface. The volcanic archipelago, home to 3.2 million people, is perched on one of the tectonic plates that sit on the Earth’s crust. Therefore, preparing for the unpredictable can mean the difference between surviving and not.Īn earthquake occurs in the Atlantic, 100 kilometres east of the Lesser Antilles – the long, delicate arc of small Caribbean islands fanning out between the Caribbean Sea and the open ocean. In the last century, 58 of them have claimed more than 260,000 lives, surpassing any other natural hazard. More are expected in the future as the sea-level rises due to climate change. ![]() The initial impact may make the front page of news media, but the aftermath on communities, livelihoods and the environment will linger for many years after the natural disaster strikes. But when nature’s fury is unleashed, their deadly effects are devastating. In this story, we tell you more about UNESCO’s work on the tsunami early warning system, how it works and how it saves lives. We map the ocean depths, identify species, work to ensure that ocean literacy is included in school curricula and protect ocean sites, which are home to critical biodiversity and incomparable beauty. Together, we created the tsunami warning system. With its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission joined by 150 Member States, and its expertise in the culture and education fields, UNESCO coordinates actions by governments, scientists, the private sector, civil society and other UN organizations. UNESCO is the UN Agency in charge of ocean science. Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs.
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