Bali, Indonesia – More than 40 disaster risk reduction practitioners, tsunami experts, government officials, and community facilitators gathered in Bali, Indonesia, to strengthen tsunami preparedness across the North-West Indian Ocean region and beyond.
Held from 12 July to 18 July 2026, the UNESCO-IOC training of facilitators (ToF) brought together participants from India, Indonesia, Iran, Maldives, Pakistan, Oman, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates, countries where coastal populations remain exposed to tsunamis.
Opening the training, Engin Koncagul, Chief of Natural Sciences at the UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta, emphasized the importance of building local capacity to strengthen tsunami preparedness across the region.
Preparedness must begin long before a tsunami occurs. By equipping facilitators with the knowledge and skills to work directly with coastal communities, we are supporting countries across the North-West Indian Ocean turn preparedness into practical action that can ultimately save lives.
Engin KoncagulChief of Natural Sciences, UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta
Through technical sessions and practical exercises, participants learned how to support coastal communities in achieving the 12 UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Indicators, a globally recognized framework designed to enhance tsunami awareness, preparedness, response, and governance at the local level. By equipping facilitators with the knowledge and practical skills needed to support communities, the training is expected to improve national and local capacities, promote greater consistency in programme implementation, and enhance regional cooperation in tsunami preparedness.
Putting that knowledge into practice, participants spent the following days reviewing tsunami hazard and inundation maps developed through activities and practicing facilitation techniques for engaging coastal communities through participatory and inclusive approaches. The training also included a tsunami drill, a visit to local disaster risk reduction initiatives, and field verification of Tsunami Ready indicators in Tanjung Benoa, one of Indonesia’s recognised Tsunami Ready communities.
There, participants observed how tsunami preparedness is translated into everyday life. Ni Wayan Werti and Luh Sri Sudarmini, principals of elementary schools in Tanjung Benoa, shared that regular drills conducted both at school and within the community have helped students become more confident and less fearful of tsunamis and earthquakes. They attributed this progress to the close collaboration between government, local Disaster Risk Reduction forums, and the community, which they said has made a real difference in students’ awareness and readiness. Their experience reinforced one of the training’s key messages: that resilient coastal communities are built through sustained collaboration at every level.
The training concluded with participants developing facilitation plans that will support pilot communities in implementing the programme in their respective countries. These efforts contribute to UNESCO-IOC’s goal of increasing the number of Tsunami Ready coastal communities worldwide by 2030.
Organized by UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta in collaboration with the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) Secretariat, the activity forms part of Phase 3 of the UNESCAP-funded project “Strengthening Tsunami Early Warning in the North-West Indian Ocean through Regional Cooperation.”
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-ioc-strengthens-tsunami-preparedness-north-west-indian-ocean-through-regional-training?hub=701
