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UNESCO/IOC Tsunami Ready Programme
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• Pacific
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• North Atlantic and Mediterranean
• Background
• Pilot Programme
• Tsunami Awareness Videos
UNESCO/IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme
The Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme is an international community-based recognition programme developed by Intergovermental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. It aims to build resilient communities through awareness and preparedness strategies that will protect life, livelihoods and property from tsunamis in different regions.
On 5 December 2017, the United Nations declared that a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development would be held from 2021 to 2030 (Ocean Decade). In June 2022, the IOC Assembly approved the establishment of the IOC Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme. The implementation of the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme will be a key contribution to achieving the societal outcome ‘A Safe Ocean’ of the Ocean Decade.
The main goal of the Programme is to improve coastal community preparedness for tsunamis and to minimize the loss of life, livelihoods and property. This is achieved through a collaborative effort to meet a standard level of tsunami preparedness through the fulfilment of a set of established indicators.
The indicators facilitate the establishment of a consistent standard to evaluate and mitigate the risk of, prepare for, and respond to tsunamis.
Communities must meet all 12 indicators, which cover Assessment, Preparedness, and Response, will be recognized as ‘Tsunami Ready’ by the UNESCO/IOC. The recognition is renewable every four years.
On 5 December 2017, the United Nations declared that a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development would be held from 2021 to 2030 (Ocean Decade). In June 2022, the IOC Assembly approved the establishment of the IOC Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme. The implementation of the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme will be a key contribution to achieving the societal outcome ‘A Safe Ocean’ of the Ocean Decade.
The main goal of the Programme is to improve coastal community preparedness for tsunamis and to minimize the loss of life, livelihoods and property. This is achieved through a collaborative effort to meet a standard level of tsunami preparedness through the fulfilment of a set of established indicators. 
The indicators facilitate the establishment of a consistent standard to evaluate and mitigate the risk of, prepare for, and respond to tsunamis. Communities must meet all 12 indicators, which cover Assessment, Preparedness, and Response, will be recognized as ‘Tsunami Ready’ by the UNESCO/IOC. The recognition is renewable every four years.
The Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme is implemented as a voluntary, performance-based community recognition programme that promotes an understanding of the concept of readiness as an active collaboration among national and local warning and emergency management agencies, and government authorities, scientists, community leaders and the public.
Although communities can be recognized as being ‘Tsunami Ready’, this recognition does not imply approval or confirmation that a community can or will perform at a certain level in the event of an actual tsunami.
Tsunami Ready recognition does not mean that a community is tsunami proof; rather, it is an acknowledgement and recognition that a community has adopted mitigation measures to cope with their tsunami risk. Tsunami Ready Viewer (click for community status)
Tsunami Ready Recognition Documents
| Document | Format |
|
Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme brochure
(April 2024)
|
A4 PDF (digital, print) US letter PDF (digital, print) |
| UN Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme and the establishment of the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP): notification to Member States and instructions for launching the recognition process (UNESCO IOC CL 2896, 11 July 2022) | English (PDF) French (PDF) Russian (PDF) Spanish (PDF) |
|
Standard Guidelines for the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme UNESCO IOC Manual and Guides 74, 2022)
|
MG74 English (PDF) MG74 French (PDF) MG74 Spanish (PDF) MG74 Arabic (PDF) MG74.5 English (PDF) MG74.7 English (PDF) MG74.A2 English (DOC) |
| Tsunami Ready Graphical Standards and Logo Kit (UNESCO IOC Information Doc 1409 Rev., 2021) | English (PDF) |
| Tsunami resilience: UNESCO will train 100% of at-risk coastal communities by 2030, UNESCO Press Release, 22 June 2022 | link to web page English (PDF) |
Quick Links
Resources
Tsunami Awareness Poster
Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Singalese.
Global & Regional Hazard Maps
Tsunami Sources, Significant Earthquakes, Significant Volcanic Eruptions, Tsunami Icosohedron Globe.
TsunamiTeacher USA
Tsunami Basics
Also on YouTube
(w/closed captioning)
Learn the basics of tsunamis. Available in English, Samoan.