Seferihisar Awarded the "Tsunami Ready Community" Certification by UNESCO

As a result of the efforts carried out under the CoastWAVE 2.0 Project—conducted in collaboration between our Institute and METU with the support of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC)—Seferihisar has qualified to receive the international "Tsunami Ready Community" certification.

The certificate ceremony held at the Seferihisar Municipality Çağan Irmak Cultural Center was attended by Deputy Governor of İzmir İsmail Çorumluoğlu, Deputy Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Zafer Levent Yıldır, Mayor of Seferihisar İsmail Yetişkin, District Governor of Seferihisar Mehmet Şerif Olçaş, İzmir Provincial AFAD Director Nazif Ekinci, Vice Director of our Institute Prof. Dr. Gülüm Tanırcan, CoastWAVE Project Coordinator Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel, along with academics, representatives of public institutions and organizations, neighborhood headmen (mukhtars), representatives of non-governmental organizations, and numerous distinguished guests.

At the ceremony, it was emphasized that our Institute's scientific guidance and technical support provided a significant contribution to the endeavors aimed at raising awareness against tsunami hazards, ensuring the effective utilization of early warning systems, and enhancing society's disaster preparedness capacity.

In her address, Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel stated: "This certificate is an international recognition that Seferihisar is a coastal community that is aware of tsunami risks, maintains its preparedness against them, prioritizes disaster safety, and strengthens inter-institutional cooperation. It is simultaneously a commitment to the future."

As Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, we continue our scientific research, monitoring, early warning, and capacity-building activities aimed at enhancing the disaster resilience of coastal communities.