Pacific Tsunami Experts Push for Faster Warnings and Better Prepared Coastal Communities

Reports from the Pacific’s Tsunami Service Providers, PTWS working groups and regional organisations helped the committee assess progress and identify areas needing further attention.

Coastal communities across the Pacific depend on tsunami warnings that arrive quickly, explain the danger clearly and give people enough information to act. Those needs shaped a three-day meeting at the NOAA facility at Pier 38 in Honolulu, where experts and representatives from Pacific Member States reviewed progress and set priorities for strengthening the region's tsunami warning system. The Steering Committee of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/PTWS) examined work completed since its April 2025 session in Beijing, China, and discussed emerging policy and technical issues ahead of the next full session.

Making every part of the warning system work

An effective tsunami warning depends on much more than detecting an earthquake, because information must move through monitoring networks, warning centres and national authorities before reaching people who need to respond. Participants examined the entire warning chain, from earthquake and sea-level monitoring to public alerts and community preparedness, with particular attention to reliable operations, coordinated procedures and clear warning information that helps authorities make timely decisions. Reports from the Pacific's Tsunami Service Providers, PTWS working groups and regional organisations helped the committee assess progress and identify areas needing further attention.

Recent tsunami events and exercises provided practical lessons about how warning arrangements perform when put to the test, reinforcing the need for post-event assessments, regular exercises and tracking agreed actions through to completion. Participants stressed that improvements in technology must translate into stronger national warning systems and safer coastal communities, keeping the focus on the people who depend on these services rather than treating technical progress as an achievement on its own.

Exploring ocean technology and strengthening national skills

Direct ocean observations, SMART submarine cables, sea-level monitoring systems and new methods of combining data and forecasting tsunamis featured prominently in the discussions. Members explored how these technologies could complement existing seismic and sea-level networks, giving tsunami warning centres faster and more accurate information about developing threats. The committee encouraged continued testing and evaluation, supported by cooperation between scientific institutions, operational centres and technology partners, so promising developments can be assessed for their suitability in operational warning services.

Differences in national resources and technical capabilities made sustained training and support another central concern, with discussions covering national tsunami forecasting capacity, competency-based training and assistance for National Tsunami Warning Centres. Participants reaffirmed that every Member State needs access to the knowledge, tools and partnerships required to improve readiness and resilience, giving particular attention to Small Island Developing States and other vulnerable coastal communities whose ability to prepare depends on accessible expertise and sustained support.

Helping communities prepare and setting the next priorities

The committee reviewed implementation of the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme, including its recognition criteria, programme equivalency and approaches to implementation across the region. Community preparedness remained central to these discussions, with participants considering how to support coastal communities in meeting tsunami readiness standards and strengthen partnerships that bring broader support to resilience efforts. Collaborative initiatives and stakeholder engagement were identified as opportunities to connect regional work with practical preparedness at the community level.

The final day covered the UN Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme, regional preparedness assessments, lessons from recent events and preparations for ICG/PTWS-XXXII, the next full session. Participants identified priorities for work between sessions so recommendations and technical proposals would be ready for consideration, emphasising close cooperation across science, warning operations, disaster management and community preparedness. The meeting closed with a renewed commitment to regional cooperation and knowledge sharing that supports better warning services and helps Member States reduce tsunami risk.