On 24 and 25 February 2025, the opening meeting of the European project NEAM-COMMITMENT (ΝEAM Collaboration fOr iMproved tsunaMi rIsk miTigation and manageMENT), funded by the European Commission (DG-ECHO 2024) and led by the National Observatory of Athens (NOA), was held in Athens. The two-year initiative aims to strengthen tsunami risk management in the NEAM area (North-East Atlantic, Mediterranean and related seas).
The project responds to the needs of tsunami risk planning on a national scale and is based on what has been achieved in Italy to date. The project, structured with a multi-risk approach, aims to strengthen the preparedness of coastal communities in the event of a tsunami.
The national-scale project
The national-scale project:
Development of national inundation maps – essential for coastal planning and risk management – and guidelines for their future application in countries in the NEAM region.
✅ Provide support for local tsunami risk assessment and hazard zone planning.
✅ Contribute to relevant global initiatives, such as the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP) and the Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme (ODTP) of the IOC/UNESCO, by expanding hazard assessment at the national level.
The local-scale project
The local-scale project:
Tsunami risk management from a multi-risk perspective to implement local community responses even in complex situations.
✅ Mitigation of tsunami risk from a multi-risk perspective, considering cascading and complementary hazards, for the development of more effective emergency plans.
✅ Engaging stakeholders in decision-making processes through participatory workshops to improve local planning and implementation effectiveness.
Project partners
This project involves 13 European partners from 4 countries: Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Spain.
These include:
✅ Three national civil protection authorities from Greece, Italy and Spain
✅ The municipality of Lipari (ME) with the Stromboli Island, project pilot site in Italy
✅ The international foundation GEM (Global Earthquake Model)
✅ Four National Tsunami Warning Centres (Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain)
|
No. |
National Institute | Organizations |
Acronym |
|
1 |
National Observatory of Athens, Greece - COO |
NOA |
|
2 |
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy |
INGV |
|
3 |
Cantabria Environmental Hydraulics Institute Foundation, Spain |
FIHAC |
|
4 |
Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Italy |
ISPRA |
|
5 |
Global Earthquake Model Foundation. Italy |
GEM |
|
6 |
University of Malaga. Spain |
UMA |
|
7 |
Municipality of Lipari, Italy |
MoL |
|
8 |
Academy of Athens. Greece |
AoA |
|
9 |
General Secretariat of Civil Protection, Greece |
GSCP |
|
10 |
Geological Survey Department, Cyprus |
GSD |
|
11 |
Civil Protection Department, Italy |
DPC |
|
12 |
Directorate General of Civil Protection and Emergency |
DGPCE |
|
13 |
National Geographic Institute |
IGN |
Expected results
National scale:
🎯 Development of tsunami inundation maps of seismic origin (Cyprus, Greece, Spain) based on the methodology applied in Italy for coastal planning
🎯 Sharing results with key national stakeholders
🎯 Development of guidelines and tools for implementation in other countries/regions
🎯 Sharing the methodological approach at international level
Local scale:
🎯 Planning and management of tsunami emergency plans based on participatory decision-making processes, with a multi-hazard approach
🎯 Application in two pilot sites: Stromboli in Italy and the second in Greece
🎯 Development of guidelines for future applications in other sites
🎯 Awareness-raising activities
