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NZ Scientists Start Year-Long Tsunami Project in Samoa
11 February 2011
NZ Scientists Start Year-Long Tsunami Project in SAMOA
Scientists from New Zealand have started a year-long project to develop tsunami evacuation maps for Samoa.
The
project is funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme and is
being undertaken by tsunami and social science specialists
at GNS Science. Four of the team set off for Samoa on
Monday in the first of several visits during the project.
Group leader, Nora Gale, said the project was in
partnership with the Samoan Disaster Management Office which
has been
working with coastal communities to increase
tsunami preparedness for several years.
The project team
will use ‘best practise’ methods currently being used in
New Zealand to develop tsunami evacuation maps.
They
plan to consult local communities during the project to
ensure the information they produce is appropriately
targeted.
One of the first tasks will be to model
potential local, regional and distant tsunami sources that
pose a risk to Samoa. In addition,
scientists at GNS
Science will develop inundation models identifying coastal
areas most vulnerable to moderate to large tsunamis.
Click for big version
From this they will produce a tsunami evacuation zone map for the whole of Samoa.
In
consultation with local authorities, they will select four
at-risk villages where they will produce more detailed maps
showing
safe places and evacuation routes.
New
Zealand and Samoan government agencies have been working
together to increase the effort spent in tsunami research
and preparedness following the devastating tsunami of
September 2009.
“The long term intention is to develop
a Pacific-wide approach to tsunami inundation mapping and
evacuation planning based
on the experience gained from
this first project in Samoa,” Ms Gale said.
By the
end of the project, the group will have worked with locals
to erect signage and prepared simulation exercises for
communities
to practise evacuation drills.
GNS
Science is one of the few organisations in the world with
the in-house capacity to undertake comprehensive tsunami
work.
This covers source modelling, wave generation and
travel, inundation modelling, evacuation planning and maps,
signage, and community education.
The scientists are
maintaining a blog about the project which can be seen here:
http://socialsciencematters.blogspot.com/
ENDS
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