Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Civil Aviation Authority, participated in the celebration of World Tsunami Awareness Day, which falls on November 5 of each year.
On this occasion, the Civil Aviation Authority is implementing programmes to raise awareness of the dangers of tsunamis in cooperation with the National Committee for Civil Defence and the Ministry of Education by organising lectures for school students in the Sultanate of Oman for raising the level of community awareness, preparedness and response, through which information on the dangers of tsunami waves is reviewed.
The National Multi Hazard Early Warning Centre and the CAA play a vital role in dealing with tsunami risks, in addition to preparing future plans in this aspect.
The Authority participated in the regional exercise Indian Ocean Waves 2023 (IOWave23), in October of this year, with the participation of the National Committee for Emergency Situations Management, the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority, the Ministry of Information, and the Royal Oman Police for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of the early warning system and management of tsunami risks in the Indian Ocean, through regional centres, in addition to ensuring that the procedures in place ensure that tsunami warnings reach all members of society.
The exercise was meant for a hypothetical earthquake situation of a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale in the Makran Fault off the coast of Pakistan, leading to tsunami waves that would reach the coast of the Sultanate of Oman in less than 30 minutes, and the height of the waves was estimated at about 11 metres.