The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), in partnership with the Seismology Unit of the Mineral Resources Department (MRD), participated in the Exercise Pacific Wave 2022 (PacWave22) yesterday (10/11/22).
An exercise is a biennial event coordinated by the UNESCO/IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/PTWS).
This also provides a valuable opportunity for Pacific Island countries to engage regionally in cooperation and coordination, test internal and external communication systems, engage with communities through public education activities and review their tsunami response procedures.
Fiji was among the 18 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) that participated in the PacWave exercise.
NDMO Director, Ms Vasiti Soko, says Fiji’s participation in this year’s exercise is crucial, noting the lessons learnt from the aftermath of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption in Tonga.
“It will allow us to test alternative communications systems with Tonga and other Pacific island countries that can provide critical observation for early warning and action in an event when mainline communications are down, as was the case for the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai event. It will also allow the NDMO to test the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) SOP for a sudden onset event like a tsunami,” Ms Soko said.
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