24 coastal villages in Odisha recognised by UNESCO as 'Tsunami Ready' | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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24 coastal villages in Odisha recognised by UNESCO as 'Tsunami Ready'

Posted 16 Nov 2024

2 min read

The 24 coastal villages in Odisha were recognized as Tsunami Ready during the 2nd Global Tsunami Symposium in Indonesia, based on verification by the National Tsunami Ready Recognition Board (NTRB).

  • NTRB, comprising scientists from Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and officers of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), implements Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme.

UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP)

  • TRRP is a voluntary, international community-based effort to bolster risk prevention and mitigation across global coastal zones.
  • Aim: To build tsunami resilience through awareness and preparedness strategies that will protect life, livelihoods and property from tsunamis.
  • Methodology: It has 12 preparedness indicators for a consistent evaluation, and recognition is renewable every four years.

About Tsunami

  • Definition: Tsunamis are a series of enormous waves created by underwater disturbances, often associated with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, or coastal rock falls.
  • Origin: The word "tsunami" comprises the Japanese words "tsu" (meaning harbour) and "nami" (meaning wave). 
  • Characteristics: 
    • Speed: Over 500 miles per hour (mph) and as a tsunami enters shallow water, it slows off to 20 to 30 mph. The wavelength decreases, the height increases.
    • Tsunami wave speed depends on ocean depth, not distance from the wave's source.

Steps taken by India

  • Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), which provides Tsunami advisories to 25 Indian Ocean countries for last- mile connectivity.
    • It has a network of tsunami buoy systems that transmit real time data.
    • INCOIS has established a real time network of tide gauge stations along the Indian coast.
  • NDMA Guidelines on Management of Tsunamis in India.
  • Modeling and Mapping of Tsunami: Along Indian coast as a part of the early tsunami and storm surge warning system
  • Tags :
  • UNESCO
  • Tsunami Ready
  • National Tsunami Ready Recognition Board
  • 2nd Global Tsunami Symposium
  • Tsunami
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