Muscat – To test preparedness to respond to tsunamis generated by seismic and non-seismic (volcanic) events, Oman will participate in the Indian Ocean Wave 2023 (IOWave23) tsunami exercise on Wednesday.

The exercise will simulate a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in the Makran trench in the northwest Indian Ocean at 06:00 UTC on October 11.

The sultanate will be represented by Civil Aviation Authority and see participation of the National Emergency Management Committee, the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority, the Ministry of Information and Royal Oman Police.

IOWave23 will simulate Indian Ocean countries being put in a tsunami-warning situation, requiring the National Tsunami Warning Centre and national and/or local disaster management offices in each country to implement their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The exercise will test the preparedness to respond to such natural weather events, in addition to testing SOPs and communication links at all levels of the warning system.

A primary objective of IOWave23 is to enhance tsunami preparedness at the community level. To this end, IOWave23 will also provide an opportunity for member states to test the Unes-co-IOC Tsunami Ready program-me indicators in communities.