Pacific Wave 06

Earlier this week various Pacific nations conducted a desktop exercise to test communication networks in the event of a tsunami occurring in the Pacific Ocean.

The scenario was that a tsunami generated by an earthquake near Chile sent a wave across several Pacific islands and on to New Zealand and Australia.

The exercise aimed to test the sharing of information and alerting mechanisms just as they would be issued during a real event. In addition, Emergency Management Australia (EMA) activated the National Emergency Management Coordination Centre to liaise between Australian Government departments and disaster management offices in other countries.

Australian Attorney-General Philip Ruddock observed the exercise and said: "None of us will ever forget the tragedy that unfolded on Boxing Day, 2004, when we witnessed with horror the devastation and human cost of a natural disaster of a magnitude not previously contemplated in this region or anywhere in the world. By joining with our neighbours to test the Pacific Tsunami Warning System, we are taking an important step to ensuring we are better prepared for an ocean-wide tsunami."

Planet Ark reports that various issues were discovered as a result of the exercise, ranging from ‘a faulty fax machine in Malaysia to an overloaded telephone network in Thailand’.

•Date: 19th May 2006• Region: Various • Type: Article •Topic: Testing and ex.
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