UNESCO Press Briefing: The risk of tsunami on the Mediterranean Coast must be assessed
When: Tuesday 21 June, 12.00 CET
Where: UNESCO Headquarters, 7 Place Fontenoy, Paris 75007 (and online)
Why? Tsunamis will be a major topic under discussion at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal 27 June-1st July.
Accreditation: Please follow this link for register
Press contact: Clare O'Hagan: c.o-hagan@unesco.org +33 (0) 1 45 68 17 29
UNESCO signals an urgent need to step up action to prepare the consequences of a tsunami in the Mediterranean.
Scientists calculate that there is 100% chance of Tsunami occurring in the Mediterranean within the next 30 years. Although tsunamis occur less frequently in the Mediterranean than in other regions of the world, authorities underestimate the gravity of the tsunami threat in this region, and surveys show that Mediterranean populations are not sufficiently sensitized.
The level of risk is calculated by taking into account both the likelihood of a destructive wave, and the number of people who would potentially be impacted by it. The Mediterranean coast is highly developed in terms of population, built infrastructure and tourism, relative to other coastal areas in the world like the South Pacific.
During this press briefing, the UN organization will detail the concerns, based on scientific data, and the preventive action that must be taken, in particular to:
1/ Train coastal populations to prepare for tsunamis.
2/ Develop a new type of Tsunami Alert System, designed to respond to tsunamis triggered by volcanic activity.
The following experts will speak:
- Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
- Bernardo Aliaga: UNESCO-IOC Programme Specialist Tsunamis
- Alexis Rosenfeld: UNESCO/1Ocean: Explorer and Photographer
UNESCO Ocean Programmes PRESS KIT
UNESCO, 7, place de Fontenoy, PARIS, NA FRANCE France
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