Tsunami Ready impact in Costa Rica

Coastal communities in Costa Rica have worked to improve tsunami vulnerability conditions by applying the Tsunami Ready program of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of Unesco (IOC/UNESCO). In Costa Rica, tsunami preparedness at community level is based on the national regulations for disaster risk management. Since 2016, the National Tsunami Monitoring System Program of the National University, known by its acronym SINAMOT, together with the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Response (CNE), the governing body in this subject, have accompanied Municipal Emergency Committees (CME) and Community Emergency Committees (CCE) in the development of plans aligned with the 12 requirements of the Tsunami Ready program, on tsunami knowledge, preparedness and response . SINAMOT has worked with 67 communities at different levels on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and 11 of them were able to meet all the requirements established by UNESCO to be recognized as TRs. This paper presents a post facto evaluation exercise in communities that have received such recognition, in order to identify the level of impact that this Program has had in Costa Rica. The study was based on measuring how much vulnerability to tsunamis has been reduced, as well as the perception of the communities on the process of recognition as a Tsunami Ready. The research considers aspects related to the organization of preparedness and response, the construction and dissemination of knowledge about risk, the socialization and maintenance of plans, and the degree of effectiveness of the procedures of the CCEs for dealing with a possible evacuation. Conclusions are drawn on the relevance of considering both specific community dynamics and the necessary articulation with local and national processes, of attending to risk management procedures according to the different scales of responsibility, as well as multi-hazard conditions, development processes or inter-institutional articulation, elements that may increase the level of uncertainty for the response to potentially hazardous events in the communities. The results of this study are expected to allow a better understanding and implementation of the Tsunami Ready Program in the coastal communities of Costa Rica.