Ecuador hosted the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Workshop, from August 31 to September 3. The workshop brought together officers from National Tsunami Warning Centers and National Risk Management Agencies from Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and Panama, as well as national and local authorities and community representatives from Ecuador.
The training helped advance understanding of the mechanisms for implementation and the benefits of the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)of UNESCO, strengthening the exchange of experiences and best practices among countries in the eastern Pacific. It was the first subregional Tsunami Ready workshop held in Spanish, which greatly facilitated dialogue and the sharing of experiences and best practices among participants.
“The ocean is not to be feared, but respected,” said Carolina Lozano, Ecuador’s National Secretary for Risk Management, highlighting the importance of strengthening preparedness against a threat that knows no borders. Tsunamis can originate far from the coast and affect several countries, so no country can prepare on its own. “We need science, observation, data, and regional warning systems; coordinated institutions and authorities prepared to act. But above all, we need communities that know what to do when a warning is issued,” she added.
