In September 2019, Omoa, Department of Cortés in Honduras, received recognition as Tsunami Ready under the Pilot Community Performance Based Tsunami Recognition Programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the (UNESCO/IOC) Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazard Warning Systems for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE-EWS). As part of the regional efforts to develop an end-to-end tsunami early warning system, the communities fulfilled the Programme’s guidelines; thus empowering its vulnerable coastal communities to take effective action in the event of a potential tsunami and save lives. The recognition process was implemented by the municipality of Omoa under the guidance of the Comisión Permanente de Contingencias (COPECO). Outputs included the creation of inundation and evacuation maps for Omoa, as well as the provision of signage for evacuation routes, assembly points and tsunami hazard zones. The local authorities also undertook extensive public education, conducted drills, and formulated an emergency operations plan (EOP). The Tsunami Ready effort was part of the project, “Strengthening Capacities of Early Warning and Response for Tsunamis and Other Coastal Hazards in Central America”. It was sponsored by the European Commission Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO); through its Department's Disaster Preparedness Programme (DIPECHO). The project was implemented by UNESCO/IOC and its Caribbean Tsunami Information Centre (CTIC), as well as the Centro de Coordinación para la Prevención de los Desastres en América Central y República Dominicana (CEPREDENAC), as an implementation partner. The Tsunami Ready Programme incorporates risk knowledge assessment, preparedness actions and response planning with recognition being granted upon the satisfactory completion of a verification process confirming fulfilment of the guidelines.
Omoa Documents
Documents | Format/Size |
Fulfillment of the Indicators
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PDF (3.6 MB) |
Assessment Indicators
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PDF (312 KB) |
Preparedness Indicators
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PDF (147 KB) PDF (210 KB) PDF (193 KB) PDF (394 KB) PDF (399 KB) |
Response Indicators
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PDF (124 KB) |
Verification and Recognition
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