Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, Permanent Secretary Malakai Finau said trainings and workshops to improve tsunami warnings and responses will improve Fiji’s tsunami and plans of evacuation during times of such natural disasters.

Mr Finau made the comment while opening the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO ITP In-Country Training Workshop in Suva yesterday.

The training also introduced new products for tsunami and earthquake monitoring.

“These products were disseminated in 2014; and this training will ensure that these products are properly used,” Mr Finau said.

“It has more detail and covers more details about the tsunami and areas it can impact. Before they used to send out one alert but now they are sending out alerts and there are many products that they are sending now.

“Now the areas will be monitored and releases will be sent on the areas it can affect.

“It will also show expected time of earthquake and estimated time of Tsunami.”

He also highlighted that to make services better the department of mineral services was now operating 24/ 7.

Mr Finau said that the ministry is working on the dissemination of warnings to the general public during a tsunami or earthquake.

Participants have drawn up a tsunami response action plan for Fiji at the end of the workshop.

The event was held yesterday at the Fiji Meteorological Service premises in Laucala Bay, Suva.

Edited by Karalaini Waqanidrola

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