UAE Participated in regional Indian Ocean-wide Tsunami Exercise
The United Arab Emirates, represented by the National Center of Meteorology, participated in the countries bordering the Indian Ocean-wide Tsunami Exercise in the regional fictitious scenario exercise in the Makran Fault, which aims to test the early warning system to deal with a potential tsunami threat in the Indian Ocean.
Regional Indian Ocean-wide Tsunami Exercise
The Indian Ocean-wide Tsunami Exercise, which began on October 20, witnessed wide participation of the concerned authorities in the countries bordering the Indian Ocean, including the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority in the UAE and other local authorities, with the aim of enhancing the readiness of these countries and evaluating their capabilities to respond to a potential tsunami threat, and improve coordination between them by conducting mock exercises on various risks.
The Director of the National Center of Meteorology, President of the Asian Meteorological Union, Dr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, said: “The 2004 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia and other events that occurred in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, which resulted in devastating tsunamis, drew the world’s attention to the need to enhance the readiness of countries. Overlooking the Indian and Pacific Oceans to face similar events in the future through these Indian Ocean-wide Tsunami Exercise to test early warning systems from tsunamis, raise awareness among the community, and identify the strengths and operational challenges that each country may face.
Tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean-wide Tsunami Exercise
He added that Indian Ocean-wide Tsunami Exercise forms an important part of the periodic review of the tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean-wide Tsunami Exercise, as it will contribute to ensuring the effectiveness of the warning in a timely manner, and educating the communities at risk of the tsunami about safety procedures, in addition to enhancing general coordination between the countries of the region. By evaluating the functioning of the system and making the necessary improvements and changes in order to ensure its continued efficiency.
It should be noted that there are 3 regional centres in Australia, Indonesia and India that will send tsunami warnings to the countries of the region represented by the national centres concerned with a tsunami warning, which in turn will take the necessary measures to assess the level of warning in the country and provide the concerned authorities with reports.