World Tsunami Awareness Day 2021- Africa Webinar

Time:  

11:00 Victoria / Port Louis | 10:00 Nairobi / Antananarivo / Moroni 

Interpretation:

French-English

BACKGROUND

The World Tsunami Awareness Day on 5 November has been celebrated as a reminder of the risk and deadly effects of Tsunamis, since it was designated by the United Nations General Assembly six years ago.

Being a rare but deadly natural hazard, tsunamis are of vital threat to many coastal countries in Africa, especially those around the Indian Ocean. The systemic risk nature of tsunamis also indicates the massive threats to human life, assets, and investments in sustainable development.

Despite that the awareness of tsunamis has been growing among African countries, the need remains significant to increase investment in the early warning systems on tsunamis as well as the implementation of a holistic strategy for disaster risk reduction.

Linking with the 2021 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sendai Seven Campaign which will focus on Sendai Framework Target F to substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries for disaster risk reduction, this year’s WTAD will also focus on international cooperation for DRR.

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

On 5 November 2021, UNDRR-Africa will invite country and regional representatives, and International Organizations based in the African island nations in the Indian Ocean to a 1.5 hour panel discussion to share with a virtual audience how they are mobilizing international investment and engaging the local private sector to advance technologies that are needed to implement EWS, with a focus on hazards including tsunamis.

OBJECTIVE

To communicate progress made in DRR in the African island nations in the Indian Ocean and partners to update on current projects that focus on natural hazards and EWS.

PROGRAMME

Moderator

Amélie Yan Gouiffes, DRR Technical Advisor, Resident Coordinator’s Office, Madagascar

Remarks (5 minutes each)

• Amjad Abbashar, Chief, UNDRR Regional Office for Africa
• Mika Odido, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Coordinator in Africa, UNESCO

Panellists (7 minutes each)

National and regional representatives

• Gina Bonne, Chargée de Mission, Gender and Risk Reduction, The Indian Ocean Commission
• Hamidi Soule, Director of the Volcanological Observatory of Karthala, Comoros
• Dr. Renganaden Virasami, Acting Deputy Director, Mauritius Meteorological Services
• Julot Herman Randriamanalina, Assistant technique à la CPGU – Cellule de Prévention et Gestion des Urgences, Madagascar
• Lieutenant-Colonel Faly Fabien Aritiana, Coordonnateur Général de Projets - Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et des Catastrophes, Madagascar
• Herzon Andango, Seychelles Meteorological Office

Partners segment

• Auriane Denis-Loupot - Programme Analyst, UNDRR Regional Office for Africa for the CREWS: South West Indian Ocean
• Zoe Trevisan, Head of DRR , Indian Ocean Regional Intervention Platform (PIROI)
• Vio Razafindrakoto, Responsable Partenariats & Programmes, Madagascar (private sector)
• The Resilience building and Disaster Response Management (RDRM) in the Indian Ocean, European Union

Closing

Q&A and closing remarks