The Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE-EWS) was established in 2005, and is currently comprised of 32 Member States and 16 Territories in the Caribbean. The ICG/CARIBE-EWS coordinates international tsunami warning and mitigation activities, including the issuance of timely and understandable tsunami bulletins in the Caribbean and adjacent regions. In recent years, there has been a considerable population growth and influx of tourists along the Caribbean and western Atlantic coasts increasing the tsunami vulnerability of the region. With nearly 160 million people (Caribbean, Central America and Northern South America) now living in this region and a major earthquake occurring about every 50 years, the question is not if another major tsunami will happen but when it happens, will the region be prepared for the tsunami impact. It is acknowledged that the potential for human and economic loss is severe. On any day it is estimated that about 500,000 people could be in harm’s way just along the beaches, with hundreds of thousands more working and living in the tsunami hazard zones. The risks of major earthquakes in the Caribbean and adjacent regions, and the possibility of a resulting tsunami, are real and should be taken seriously. The objective of this meeting is to advance the strategic role of the ICG CARIBE EWS in creating coastal communities resilient to tsunamis and other coastal hazards. In light of the disruptions created by the pandemic it is an opportune time to identify strategic activities that can be conducted within the CARIBE EWS framework to support its Member States under these circumstances.

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