"World Meteorological Organization"Earthquakes and an escalating threat that requires strengthening early warning
Abu Dhabi on August 1 / WAM / The head of the World Meteorological Organization called for strengthening international and national efforts in the fields of early monitoring and warning to ensure early warnings of natural disasters due to earthquakes and tsunami.
His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Ahmed Al -Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organization, stressed that earthquakes and tsunami are still among the deadliest natural disasters, noting that these phenomena represent an escalating threat to the safety of man and the global economy.
He pointed out that seismic disasters over the past decades, such as the Chilean earthquake in 1960, the Sumatra earthquake in 2004, which left more than 200,000 victims, and the Fukushima earthquake in 2011, confirms that the tsunami waves resulting from marine earthquakes are an existential threat to coastal societies.
He pointed out that the world has witnessed more than 140 earthquakes with a force of more than 8 degrees during the past fifty years, most of which caused tsunami, and left more than 250 thousand deaths and losses exceeding $ 100 billion.
He pointed out that the last earthquake in the Camchatka Prussia Peninsula, with a power of 8.8 degrees, has highlighted the importance of early warning systems, as fast warnings contributed to reducing the effects of tsunami waves, which amounted to several meters high, stressing that “the warning does not save lives if it does not reach its time, and it is met with effective readiness on the ground.”
He stressed that early warning systems depend on international networks from seismic monitoring stations and smart marine swards, but their effectiveness depends on the speed of data analysis, the readiness of infrastructure, and the response of society.
In this context, Dr. Al -Mandous noted that the World Meteorological Organization puts the “Early Warning for All” initiative at the heart of its priorities, an international initiative launched by the United Nations with the aim of ensuring that all people obtain early warnings of disasters by 2027.
“We are working with international governments and partners to ensure that no region is surprised by a catastrophe without pre -warning, considering that early warning is a human right, not a luxury,” he said.
The UAE is one of the leading countries in supporting prediction efforts and early warning, as it hosts many advanced research and research centers in this field, in order to enhance the readiness of regional and international societies.
As part of its global role, the World Meteorological Organization leads partnerships with international agencies and research bodies to accelerate the implementation of early warning systems in island countries and developing countries, which are among the most at risk of earthquakes and tsunami.
He added, “We need a collective commitment to governments to accelerate investment in a flexible infrastructure, enhance legislation, and expand cooperation in exchanging data, and we call on institutions to support research and technology, and individuals to identify safety measures and spread awareness, so every second is a separation between the earthquake and alarm, in which the ability to withstand or lose and every proactive step today means a greater opportunity to survive tomorrow.”
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