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Online Tsunami Seminar FY2021

9 March 2022(online)
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On 9 March 2022, ADRC held an Online Tsunami Seminar FY2021 to promote World Tsunami Awareness Day. This year, ADRC invited Assistant Professor Mauricio Reyes Gallardo, from the University of Valparaiso in Chile, another tsunami prone country, to participate. He gave a lecture entitled "Experience with Tsunami Risk Reduction in Chile."

He started by giving an overview of Chile in which he described the historical events from the Spanish colonization down to the modern day, explained the changing population dynamics and increasing rate of urbanization, and outlined the geographical as well as topographical terrain of Chile that makes the country prone to earthquakes and tsunamis. In terms of disaster risks, he noted that Chile is a multi-hazard country, with earthquakes and tsunamis being its most notable hazards. He gave examples of earthquakes and tsunami disasters that impacted Chile in 1960, 2007, 2010, and 2015, among others. 

These tsunami experiences offered opportunities to improve and strengthen tsunami risk management. First, they led to technological improvements to tsunami early warning systems (e.g., the adoption of new tools from Japan) and to continued efforts to monitor and conduct research on tsunami events. Second, they led to the development and adoption of the National Building Code as well as the Reinforcement Code. Third, they led to the application and improvement of "Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Maremotos" (SNAM) and "Sistema Integrado de Prediccion y Alarma de Tsunamis" (SIPAT), which keep people informed about tsunami risks and help provide guidance relating to evacuation and safety measures. Despite improvements in tsunami risk management, he said that Chile remains vulnerable to tsunamis due to the following factors: lack of urban planning; societal, ecological, economical, and cultural complexities; lack of education; poor use of technology; and poorly maintained infrastructure. He concluded that good risk governance is needed for establishing systems that can bring order to the complexities of tsunami risk.

Finally, Mr NAKAGAWA Masaaki, Executive Director of ADRC, mentioned that the volcanic eruption in Tonga in January 2022 and the subsequent tsunami remind us of the danger of tsunamis in many other coastal countries. He concluded by saying that ADRC would promote tsunami disaster risk reduction by sharing experiences and lessons learned in Japan and many other countries.

ADRC would like to express its sincere gratitude to all the participants. Please visit the following site for details of the Online Tsunami Seminar: https://www.adrc.asia/acdr/2021tsunami

(2022/5/2 15:00)
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