Online Training on Tsunami Preparedness: Earthquake and Tsunami Ready Field School

Resumen

This five-day training course, Earthquake and Tsunami Ready Field School, equips participants with the knowledge and practical skills needed to strengthen community-level tsunami preparedness in line with the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP). The course builds on and complements Indonesia's national Sekolah Lapang Gempa (SLG)/Earthquake Field School initiative developed by the Indonesia Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG), which trains communities to understand earthquake hazards and strengthen local seismic risk literacy. By extending the field-school approach from earthquake awareness into full tsunami readiness, this course bridges BMKG's national capacity-building efforts with the international Tsunami Ready framework, reinforcing a coherent hazard-to-response chain from earthquake detection to community tsunami action. The training is structured around the 12 Tsunami Ready Indicators, which together define the requirements a community must fulfill to achieve Tsunami Ready recognition. This course is delivered by BMKG in its capacity as an IOC Ocean Teacher Global Academy (OTGA) Specialised Training Centre (STC), as part of BMKG's broader role within the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) for tsunami warning provision and mitigation and as host of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Center (IOTIC) as well as the ASEAN Earthquake Information Centre (AEIC), reflecting its position at the intersection of national, regional, and international earthquake and tsunami risk reduction efforts.

The course combines conceptual grounding with applied, scenario-based learning. Participants begin with a baseline knowledge assessment and an introduction to tsunami hazard potential and basic preparedness measures, before progressing through the three core categories of the Tsunami Ready framework using information products, case studies, and group exercises to build familiarity with what each category requires in practice. The training culminates in a Table-Top Exercise (TTX) simulating a real earthquake-tsunami event, giving participants the opportunity to apply their learning in a coordinated, time-pressured scenario, followed by a post-test and closing session to consolidate key takeaways. The course is intended to build a working understanding of the Tsunami Ready indicators and process, so that participants are better equipped to support, contribute to, and advocate for their communities' progress toward Tsunami Ready recognition. 

Needs and priority

Coastal communities in tsunami-prone regions continue to face significant gaps between the existence of early warning systems and actual "last mile" readiness to receive, understand, and act on warnings. Closing this gap depends on having a well-trained cadre of government disaster management staff, technical facilitators, and researchers who can assess, guide, and support communities toward meeting recognized preparedness standards. This course builds that capacity by training government officials and researchers working on tsunami risk reduction to understand and apply the IOC-UNESCO Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme indicators, and is delivered by BMKG in its capacity as an Indian Ocean Tsunami Service Provider and active participant in regional and international earthquake-tsunami coordination mechanisms.

Links to IOC Programmes or Capacity Development Strategy: 

Format and Duration

This is a instructor led ONLINE course, comprising various learning resources, activities and assessments, with a total of 36 hours estimated for completion.

There will be synchronous sessions every day. It will be from 02.00 - 06.45 UTC. The attendance is mandatory for participants.

32 Synchronous Learning Hours 

4 Asynchronous Learning Hours 

Language of instruction: English

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course, learners will:

• Explain the scientific basis of earthquake-generated tsunamis
• Describe the structure of the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme
• Apply Tsunami Ready Assessment and Preparedness indicators to interpret hazard information products and community-level materials
• Analyze institutional Response arrangements to identify gaps against Tsunami Ready requirements
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a simulated coordinated response during a Table-Top Exercise (TTX)
• Outline preliminary recommendations for a local government or community's next steps toward Tsunami Ready recognition 

Course content

• Earthquake and Tsunami Science
• Regional and National Tsunami Risk Context
• UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme
• 12 Tsunami Ready Indicators
  • Assessment
  • Preparedness
  • Response
• Table-top Exercise (TTX) 

Target audience

Target: National authorities involved in tsunami preparedness, such as National Meteorological and Geophysical Services, Local/Regional Disaster Management Officers, coastal city planners, port authorities, and emergency first responders.

Prerequisites: Professional involvement in disaster risk reduction or emergency management. Basic knowledge of geography is helpful.

Number of participants: max 40 participants.

Organizers

This course was developed by the Indonesia Specialized Training Center of Center for Human Resources Capacity Development of Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics of BMKG Indonesia in collaboration with the support of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA). 

Facilitators

This training was developed with the assistance of 

1. Dimas Salomo Januarianto Sianipar, Ph.D 

2. Dr. Pepen Supendi 

3. Indra Gunawan M.Phil 

4. Arif Nurokhim, S.SI, M.Si 

5. Dr. Januar Arifin 

6. Dr. Bayu Pranata 

7. Suci Dewi Anugerah, M.Si 

8. Kian Purna Sinki, S.ST., M.Sc. 

9. Muhammad Harvan, S.T.

Registration, costs, and technological requirements

This course is offered with no tuition fees.

UNESCO is committed to promoting equal access principles. Registration from minority or underrepresented groups is strongly encouraged.

Applications to this course are open from 19 to 31 October 2026, through this form: https://otga.wufoo.com/forms/mizjdmo0pimwcv/

Selection criteria 

 Assessment & Certificate

This course contains hands-on and self-paced automated online knowledge checks and assessments. 

• Initial assessment will be done through the pre-test before the class starts.
• For formative evaluation, assignments and discussions will be used during synchronous sessions and/or a OTGA Learning Management System or other interactive learning tools.
• For the summative assessment, at the end of the course, participants will have a post-test and have to write an action plan on how they will implement the knowledge they gained during the training and a report following a timeline of the proposed action plan. 

In order to successfully complete the course and be awarded a certificate, the following are mandatory: 

• 100% attendance in all synchronous sessions

• Complete all modules and lessons.  

• Complete all quizzes (70% pass mark, 3 attempts) and other assessments

• Complete the pre and post-assessment questionaries. 

• Submit the feedback survey. 

Contacts

For any questions, please contact OTGA Secretariat (ioc.training@unesco.org) always using the name of the course as e-mail subject.

Cancellation policy

In the event of cancellation of the course by the OTGA or its affiliates, we will provide notification of cancellation at least 7 days prior to the course date. In the event of cancellation by the attendee, we should receive notification of cancellation at least 7 days prior to the course date.