$900K-Plus Committed to Upgrade the National Seismic Network
The Fijian Government committed more than over $900,000 to upgrade the National Seismic Network.
This was highlighted by the Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Vosarogo, during the opening of a Regional Working Group meeting on Tsunami Warning and Mitigation for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (ICG/PTWS-WG/PICT-IX) at Tanoa International Hotel in
Nadi yesterday.
The ICG/PTWS-WG/PICT comprises representatives from 13 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) as members.
“I’m told that about 80 per cent of tsunamis happen within the Pacific Ocean’s ‘Ring of Fire’,” he said. “On that note I believe that these countries and territories must build resilient communities through awareness and preparedness strategies that will protect lives, livelihoods and property from tsunami in different regions.” “Times and events are changing.” He said the tsunamis induced by earthquakes, the recent HungaTonga Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and resulting tsunami on January 15 last year, added a new dimension to early warning systems for tsunamis around the world.
“This eruption triggered powerful tsunami waves that not only damaged the coastal communities in Tonga, but also travelled across the Pacific Ocean and caused surges in Hawaii, Japan and the western coasts of North and South
America.
“We are also grateful to the Pacific Community (SPC) for its ongoing support and enabling our local seismic network to connect to the Oceania Regional Seismic Network.
“This improves the response time for earthquake and tsunami detection. This effort enables the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) in Hawaii to have improved tsunami detection time in the Southwest Pacific region.”