Countries in the North-eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Connected Seas (the NEAM region) will participate in a tsunami test and response exercise from 8 to 10 March 2021. NEAMwave21 will coincide with the 10th commemoration of 11 March 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate local tsunami response plans, increase tsunami preparedness, and improve coordination throughout the region. It is the fourth such international exercise in this region after NEAMWave12 (2012), NEAMWave14 (2014) and NEAMWave17 (2017).

Regional and national tsunami warning systems in every ocean must maintain a high level of readiness so that all the actions relevant to the public’s safety can be provided effectively and efficiently during fast-onset and rapidly-evolving natural disasters such as tsunamis. To maintain a high state of operational readiness, National Tsunami Warning Centres (NTWCs) and Civil Protection Authorities must regularly practice their emergency response procedures to ensure that vital communication links work seamlessly and that agencies and response personnel know the roles that they will need to play during an actual event. This important exercise will test the current procedures of the Tsunami Warning System and help identify operational strengths and weaknesses in each country.

NEAMWave21 will simulate three regional widespread Tsunami Service situations, Phase A, Phase B and Phase C, which require operationalization of national tsunami response plans and procedures.

NEAMWave21 will involve the simulation based on earthquake driven scenario of a given magnitude has occurred and a tsunami has been generated. The scenarios will include message dissemination by Tsunami Service Providers (TSPs) and subsequent simulation of response actions by Tsunami Warning Focal Points (TWFPs), National Tsunami Warning Centres (NTWCs) and Civil Protection Authorities in the NEAM region. Civil Protection Authorities have the option to carry out different types of exercises, i.e. an orientation, a drill, a table-top exercise, a functional exercise to a full-scale exercise with actual evacuation. One of the scenarios the North-eastern Atlantic – 1755 Lisbon Earthquake joint scenario executed by TSP CENALT (France) and TSP IPMA (Portugal) will, in addition, simulate a request for international assistance through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and the Emergency Response and Coordination Centre (ERCC) of the European Commission in Phase C.

Member States are encouraged to extend exercises to community level where appropriate if national sanitary measures related to Covıd-19 pandemic allow.

The timing of the three different scenarios by region are as follows:

The timetable of NEAMWave21 Scenarios

To facilitate the participation of the Member States in more than one scenario, each scenario will be conducted consecutively in one-day sessions for different regions of interest, thus avoiding overlapping.

The NEAMWave21 Instruction Manual provides further details on the implementation of the exercise. If any real tsunami threat occurs during the time period of the exercise, the exercise will be terminated.

The exercise is coordinated by the UNESCO/IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the North-eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Connected Seas (ICG/NEAMTWS), Task Team on Tsunami Exercise and NEAMWave21 exercise team supported by the Emergency Response and Coordination Center (ERCC) of the European Commissions of Civil Protection Mechanism.

See ICG/NEAMTWS for more information on the ICG/NEAMTWS.

Contact: Denis Chang Seng, IOC, Tsunami Unit


Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

ICG/NEAMTWS Tsunami Service Providers (TSPs)


CENALT:       CENtre National d'Alerte aux Tsunamis

CAT-INGV:   Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia - Centro Allerta Tsunami

IPMA:           Portuguese Institute for Ocean and Atmosphere / Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera

KOERI:        Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute

NOA:            National Observatory of Athens