UNESCO coordinates a tsunami preparedness exercise on 11 March in the Caribbean

The Caribbean States and adjacent regions will participate on 11 March in their annual tsunami preparedness exercise, set up under the aegis of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), as they commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake in Japan, which caused a deadly and devastating surge on the north-eastern coast of the island of Honshu, leading to the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Countries bordering the North-East Atlantic, the Mediterranean and adjacent seas will take part in a similar exercise from 8 to 10 March.

The purpose of the exercise is to assess local tsunami response plans, increase preparedness for such events and improve overall coordination. The exercise is also intended to contribute to the objectives of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, launched on 1 January 2021 under the aegis of IOC-UNESCO.