EKSESAES Aelan Weiv 24
The Solomon Islands National Tsunami Exercise
CONCEPT NOTE
Introduction
In collaboration with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) in Hawaii, the Geological Survey Departments (GSD) of the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE), the Solomon Islands Meteorological Services and the National Disaster Management Office under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, and the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Cooperation (SIBC) under the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC), and the Information Technology and Communication Unit (ICTSU) of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT), the Solomon Islands is again undertaking the annual regional tsunami exercise known as the Pacific Wave 2024 (Pacwave24) concurrently with the Solomon Islands national tsunami exercise, known as the Eksasaes Aelan Weiv 2024 (AelanWeiv24).
EAW24 is a very important national tsunami exercise to the Solomon Islands Tsunami Early Warning, Dissemination, Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response landscape given its nature in providing a unique platform that bridges tsunami early warning, warning dissemination, disaster and humanitarian responses utilizing the Pacific Regional Tsunami Exercise (PacWave) which then blended to the national tsunami exercise (Aelan Weiv).
Since the inception of PacWave in 2006 and Aelan Weiv in 2010, the exercises have greatly benefited the Solomon Islands in identifying, review and establish tsunami protocols that are critical in coordinating tsunami early warning, and related disaster and humanitarian tsunami responses.
This year 2024, the AW24 will focus on two key activities (1) testing the reach of early warning dissemination to key Government Ministries, (2) provide the avenue for Public-Private Institutions to test their respective tsunami response plans including that of individuals, families and communities.
The exercise provides the opportunity for the Tsunami Service Provider (TSP) to test the country tsunami warning system and arrangements, to test new tsunami products (where relevant). It also provides the opportunity for the Public and Private Sectors including schools, banks, hotels, individuals, families and communities to review existing tsunami preparedness arrangements and operational procedures to respond and recover from a destructive tsunami. It provides the opportunity to test internal and external communication systems, to engage with communities through public education activities, and to engage regionally in coordination and cooperation.
Regular exercises are important for maintaining staff readiness for Tsunami Service Providers but also the general population that are expose to the hazard in case of a real event. This is especially true for tsunamis which are infrequent but require a rapid response when they occur.
The exercise targets all stakeholders and partners that are member to the various committees established in the National Disaster Management Plan 2018. These include the Executive function by the Cabinet under sections 95, 33 and 38 of the NDMP18, the Oversight function by the NDC under sections 34, 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45 of the NDMP18, and the Operations Function of the N-DOC under section 34 and 51(a) of the NDMP18, that include the sector committees and members agencies to the sector committees.
Objectives
The national tsunami exercise is an effective tool for evaluating the country status of readiness and identifying changes that can improve the effectiveness in responding to tsunamis. The AW24 has the following specific objectives;
Objective 1: Technical Agencies Self-Assessment on Tsunami Threat Detection, Analysis and Warning Dissemination
On this the Hazard Technical Agencies responsible for tsunami is expected to detect the tsunami threat, conduct hazard risk analysis and disseminate the tsunami warning to the emergency and response agencies, and the general public.
Objective 2: Technical Emergency and Disaster Response Agencies initiate the activation and execution of the Solomon Islands Disaster Management Arrangement.
▪ NDMO to initiate the activation of the N-DOC, P-DOC, the various sector committees, and sector agencies response protocols for tsunami responses.
▪ Testing Emergency Communication Lines (Email, WhatsApp, Facebook, HF/VHF/ and Phones) as an objective for NEOC & Emergency Agencies
Objective 3: Public-Private stakeholders and partners tested their respective emergency and disaster response plans and protocols.
Public-Private Institutions (Government ministries including the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, police, correctional services, hospitals, SOEs’, banks, hotels, schools, individuals, families and communities familiarize and testing their respective emergency and disaster response operational readiness and status check their level of capacity and capability readiness to support self-help and the whole of Government disaster responses interventions.
Objective 4: Identify areas of specific thematic areas of improvement.
The summation of all the above objectives will provide valuable lessons to inform the finalization of the Solomon Islands Tsunami Plan (still in draft).
Expected Outcomes
The following outcomes are expected from the AW24;
1. Hazard Technical Agencies or Tsunami Service Providers (TSPs’) has the technical competency to utilize the PTWC tsunami products, detect, analysis and develop the required tsunami products to inform decision making and public response
2. NDMO, PDMO, N-DOC, P-DOC, NDC and PDC are operational ready to immediately respond to a tsunami event as per the respective SOPs’.
3. Public and Private Sector Stakeholders test and familiarize themselves on their respective emergency and disaster management response protocols.
4. For the public to test their respective readiness in terms of individual, family and community response capacity and capability.
Methodology
Both PACWAVE and AELANWEIV will employ the following methodologies;
1. Coaching and interactive discussions through team work on scenario-based problem solving
2. Identification of tsunami early warning reach to determine the current status of warning reach across the country given the advancement of telecommunication and internet connectivity.
3. Public-Private Institutions testing their respective tsunami disaster response plans and protocols through procedural demonstration or in-house table top exercises (discussion exercises).
Target Audience
1. Hazard Technical Agencies responsible for tsunami hazard
2. Emergency, Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response Agencies
3. Tsunami Early Warning Agencies (traditional media and social media service providers)
4. Public and Private Institutions (Government Ministries including the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Police, Correctional Services, Hospitals, SOEs’, Banks, Hotels, Schools, etc.)
5. Individuals, families and communities
Proposed Schedule
5th November, 2024
Resources Required
Specific to individual agencies testing requirement
Financial
No financial support is required for this event. However, it is up to individual agencies decision based on their respective objectives for the exercise.
Technical Support
▪ Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC)
▪ UNESCO
▪ Geological Survey Division (GSD)
▪ Solomon Islands Meteorological Services (SIMS)
▪ National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) Solomon Islands
▪ ICTSU-MOFT
▪ Subject Matter Experts from GSD, SIMS, ICTSU, NDMO, and DRM Associated Projects
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