ITIC Training Programme on Tsunami Early Warning Systems and the PTWC Enhanced Products, Tsunami Evacuation Planning and Tsunami Ready Programme (ITP-TEWS-Chile), Valparaiso, Chile

Résumé

The ITP-TEWS Chile 2026 training will be conducted by the International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC) and the Servicio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la Armada de Chile (SHOA), in collaboration with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). The ITP-TEWS-Chile will use Chile as a working example of an end-to-end tsunami warning and mitigation system, with SHOA as its national warning centre. It will follow the same format at the ITP-Hawaii 2025, where Hawaii was used as a working example with PTWC as its warning centre. ITIC is hosted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (U.S.) and Chile in partnership with UNESCO-IOC. PTWC serves as the primary Tsunami Service Provider (TSP) for the Pacific and the TSP for the Caribbean.

Recognizing that local tsunamis remain the most challenging operation for countries, the ITP-TEWS Chile will focus its training on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for warning and emergency response as guided by the PTWS National Tsunami Warning Center Minimum Competency Levels (2023) and the Local-Source Tsunami Response Best Practice (2019). The training will also focus on community preparedness and tsunami evacuation planning in the context of the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme.  A goal of the IOC’s Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme is “make 100% of communities at risk of tsunami prepared for and resilient to tsunamis by 2030” through initiatives such as the Tsunami Ready Programme. Tsunami evacuation and table top exercises will be conducted requiring decision-making and action by participants. 

ITP-TEWS Chile is open primarily to all country members of ICG/PTWS and ICG/CARIBE-EWS. Participants from other regional tsunami warning systems are welcome. During the training, participants are expected to give a 15-minute presentation on their country’s tsunami warning and mitigation system, including their tsunami SOPs and plans for Tsunami Ready.

The training is being supported by the US Dept of State, Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response and the other international and regional organizations involved in tsunami warning and community preparedness.