The IOC-UNESCO Working Group on the Pacific Islands and Countries and Territories (WG-PICT) is preparing the PICT Regional Exercise Pacific Wave 2026 (PacWAVE26), scheduled from 23:00 UTC on 4 November to 03:00 UTC on 5 November 2026.
The exercise will provide Pacific Island Countries and Territories with an opportunity to test regional information sharing, national preparedness arrangements, operational procedures and communication pathways for tsunami events.
PacWAVE26 will focus on tsunamis generated by volcanic activity in the Southwest Pacific, providing participating countries and territories with an opportunity to exercise arrangements for receiving, assessing and sharing information and coordinating preparedness and response activities.
The regional exercise is particularly relevant to National Tsunami Warning Centres (NTWCs), National Disaster Management Offices (NDMOs), meteorological and geohazard agencies, emergency management organizations and other national partners involved in tsunami preparedness and response.
Testing information sharing and communication redundancy
PacWAVE26 supports the Terms of Reference of the WG-PICT Task Team on Information Sharing Platforms, which includes proposing and conducting the regional PacWave exercise and supporting members in conducting exercises at their convenience.
A key focus is testing the sharing of early and anticipatory information between NTWCs and NDMOs, while considering which communication platforms are most appropriate for different types of information.
The Task Team’s work also covers regional communication tests and information-sharing mechanisms, including mobile and desktop applications such as WhatsApp and Slack, HF radio and email Listservs. It also seeks to identify emerging information-sharing platforms and technologies that could strengthen emergency broadcasting and communication redundancy.
PacWAVE26 therefore provides a practical opportunity to examine how different communication channels can complement one another when timely and reliable information is critical.
Preparatory webinars for participating countries
Two preparatory webinar/workshop sessions will introduce the exercise guidelines and provide an opportunity for participants to raise questions:
- Session 1: 29 October 2026, 23:00 UTC
- Session 2: 2 November 2026, 23:00 UTC
Pacific Island Countries and Territories and relevant national agencies are encouraged to register for the regional exercise by 3 November 2026.
Through PacWAVE26, WG-PICT members will continue working together to strengthen regional cooperation, test national and regional arrangements, and identify practical improvements to tsunami warning and emergency communication systems across the Pacific.
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