The UNESCO/IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP) is an international community-based recognition programme aimed at building resilient communities through awareness and readiness strategies that will protect life, livelihoods and property from tsunamis. Readiness is achieved through a collaborative effort among government agencies, scientists, community leaders and the public, who work together to meet an established set of 12 indicators covering Assessment, Preparedness, and Response. The Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme is actioned through Country National Tsunami Ready Programmes, and facilitated in the Pacific by the International Tsunami Information Center. The implementation of the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme will be a key contribution to the ‘Safe Ocean ’societal outcome of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The goal of the IOC’s Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme is to make 100% of communities at risk of tsunami prepared for and resilient to tsunamis by 2030.

Building from the Regional Tsunami Ready Workshop held in January 2023, the May 14 meeting will take stock of the progress made over the last year with the goal sharing outcomes and best practices, and identifying needs and gaps, and actions for 2024 and 2025. The IOC Expert Meeting on Seismic Tsunami Sources that follows May 14-17 fulfils one need for the region for tsunami hazard and inundation modeling.

Over the next year, the ITIC, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the US NOAA), will be working with Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu to implement the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme in their countries. Previously and currently, the ITIC and NOAA is assisting the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, and Palau.   The May 13 meeting will introduce the Tsunami Ready requirements to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.