The countries bordering the North-East Atlantic, the Mediterranean and adjacent seas were prepared from 8 to 10 March to a tsunami preparedness exercise, set up under the aegis of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO). The exercise marks the 10th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake in Japan, which caused a deadly and devastating surge on the north-eastern coast of the island of Honshu, leading to the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Coordinated by IOC-UNESCO, the Global Tsunami Warning System plays a critical role in protecting lives. The IOC-UNESCO Tsunami Programme supports Member States in assessing tsunami risk, implementing Tsunami Early Warning Systems (EWS) and in educating communities at risk about preparedness measures. With the support of Tsunami Service Providers and Tsunami Information Centers, IOC-UNESCO helps Member States in assessing tsunami risk, implementing Tsunami EWS and in educating communities at risk about preparedness measures.

The competition was organized as a key output of a project aimed at strengthening tsunami early warning and response capacities in Caribbean countries, sponsored by the European Commission DIPECHO and coordinated by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. The contest targeted arts students aged 14-16 from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominican Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.