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http://www.fsmgov.org/press/pr09210a.htm

 

Experts to Assess the FSM's Tsunami Warning and 

Mitigation System 

Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): September 21, 2009 - The Federated 
States of Micronesia's (FSM) capacity to receive, communicate and effectively respond to 
tsunami warnings has been assessed by a team of national and visiting experts in Pohnpei 
last week. 

The assessment was funded by the Australian Government Agency for International 
Development (AusAID) and implemented by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in close 
partnership with the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC). The 
visiting expert team also had personnel from the United States National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Guam. Key FSM personnel from 
Government agencies, Non-Government Organisations and the private sector played a 
pivotal role in the tsunami assessment during the week. 

The visiting team included experts in the fields of tsunami warnings, emergency 
management, regional disaster management, warning communications and hazard 
education. The team focused on several topics ranging from community awareness of 
tsunami to issuing of tsunami warnings. 

One participant of the workshop commented that "although in recent history FSM has not 
experienced a large destructive tsunami, as a nation, we need to be prepared to issue 
warnings and respond to the tsunami hazard. Because of the large distribution of our 
islands across 1.9 million square miles of sea, the tsunami threat will not be the same for 
all areas. We hope to learn more about this in the workshop." 

The tsunami advisories for the Pacific Ocean are issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning 
Centre (PTWC) in Hawaii. Individual countries then use this advice to distribute national 
tsunami warnings to their communities. Countries must have processes and infrastructure 
in place to enable these national warnings to reach communities. 

"The needs analysis will ideally serve to guide work on strengthening FSM's capacity to 
warn communities and mitigate against the impacts of a tsunami," said SOPAC's Risk 
Assessment Specialist Michael Bonte-Grapentin. 

Although the primary focus of the workshop has been on tsunami, Mr Bonte-Grapentin 
said that many aspects of the assessment will be relevant for other multi-hazard warnings 
such as severe weather events. 

"The workshop participants from FSM will play a critical role in providing expertise and 
local knowledge so that the assessment can be targeted specifically to FSM's 
requirements." An important outcome of the workshop has also been the development of 
several recommendations which can be used in aid funding and national budget 
submissions, as well as agency work plans. 

Overall there are fourteen SOPAC Member Countries that have participated in the 
assessment project: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall 

 

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Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Palau 
and Vanuatu. 

Team members of the capacity assessment included: Mr Bruce Best, Mr Chip Guard, Mr 
Michael Bonte-Grapentin, Litea Biukoto and Shannon McNanara. 

The assessment was a three and a half day workshop held at the Cliff Rainbow Hotel in 
Pohnpei, from Monday September 14 to Thursday September 17, 2009. 

 

For further information on this release, please contact: 

FSM Office of the President 
Public Information: Press, Radio, Video 
P.O Box 34 
Palikir Station, Pohnpei, FM 96941 
Tel.: (691) 320-2548/2092 
Fax.: (691) 320-4356 
e-mail: 

fsmpio.fm

 

http://www.fsmpio.fm/