Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)

On the Job Training on Tsunami Inundation Modeling and Mapping and
Development of Tsunami Hazard Map for Implementation of UNESCO-IOC
Tsunami Ready in Pilot Sites in Maldives, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Seychelles.
16 - 21 March 2026
Organized by
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) and
International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean)
INCOIS, Hyderabad, India.

Application Process Course Dates

The UNESCO-IOC 2nd Global Tsunami Symposium in commemoration of 2 decades after the Indian Ocean Tsunami (Banda Aceh, 2024) highlighted that the Indian Ocean is much safer against the threat of tsunamis than it was in 2004, but much needs to be achieved to enhance the accuracies of tsunami early warning and community preparedness. As an outcome of this Symposium, the UNESCO and its partners called on States and civil society to drastically step up their investments and efforts to strengthen Tsunami Early Warning Systems and achieve 100% of Tsunami Ready Communities across the world by 2030.

One of the major hazards in the Indian Ocean region is the potential for a powerful earthquake in the Makran Subduction Zone, located north of the Arabian Sea. Such an event could generate destructive tsunamis capable of reaching nearby coastlines within 20 minutes, underscoring the urgent need for preparedness among Northwest Indian Ocean (NWIO) Member States. To address this, UNESCO-IOC is implementing the UNESCAP-funded project "Strengthening Tsunami Early Warning in the North-West Indian Ocean through Regional Cooperation".

Alongside of the UNESCAP Project Phase 3, UNESCO-IOC also implement the Strengthening Community Resilience to Ocean Hazards through implementation of Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme in Indian Ocean SIDS and Africa funded by the Flanders UNESCO Science Trust Fund (FUST). The project focused on the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region that is prone to tsunami threats caused by undersea seismic and volcanic activity. Coastal populations in Madagascar and Seychelles face heightened vulnerability due to gaps in early warning systems, preparedness strategies, and public risk awareness. The UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP) offers a structured approach to building local capacity for tsunami resilience. This project seeks to implement the TRRP in selected pilot communities within Madagascar and Seychelles.

Aims and objectives:

The overall Objective is to enhance the technical capacity of four Indian Ocean countries to conduct tsunami inundation modelling, develop tsunami hazard maps, and support implementation of the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme. The specific objectives on this on-the-job training are:

  • To train selected experts in the principles, methods, and software tools used for Tsunami Inundation Modelling and Mapping (TIMM).
  • To enable participants to process and utilize high-resolution bathymetry and topography datasets needed for tsunami inundation simulation.
  • To guide participants through generating tsunami scenarios, running numerical simulations, and producing hazard maps for two pilot communities per country.
  • To enhance national capability to support long-term tsunami hazard assessment, evacuation planning, tsunami preparedness, and coastal risk reduction.
  • To strengthen regional cooperation and harmonize methodologies for tsunami hazard assessment within the IOTWMS region.

Learning Outcomes:

The main output are eight trained and skilled experts in Tsunami Inundation Modelling and Mapping (TIMM), two from each country (Maldives, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Seychelles) and at least 4 Tsunami Hazard Maps of selected pilot site, one from each country that could be used for the implementation of UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme. Several more specific outputs covering, but not limited to:

  • Pre-processed bathymetry and topography grids for selected pilot sites in each country.
  • Tsunami inundation model setup (grid nesting, boundary conditions, scenario definition).
  • Completed tsunami inundation simulations for identified tsunami scenarios.
  • Preliminary Tsunami Hazard Maps for at least one pilot sites per country.
  • Training documentation and technical guidelines for further national application.
  • Strengthened pool of national experts capable of conducting TIMM and supporting TRRP implementation in the Indian Ocean.

Eligible Participants:

Two experts from each country (Maldives, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Seychelles) will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • Background in oceanography, coastal engineering, hydrodynamics, geospatial analysis, disaster management, or related fields.
  • Working affiliation either with University, the National Tsunami Warning Centre (NTWC), Meteorological Department, National Disaster Management Agency/Authority, Research Institute, or relevant technical institution.
  • Demonstrated experience in GIS, modelling tools, or geospatial data processing.
  • Ability to commit to all 7 days of intensive training and do subsequent follow-up work on Tsunami Inundation Modeling and Mapping and Development of Tsunami Hazard Map in the country.
  • Strong analytical and computing skills.

Application Process :

By Nomination

Funding :

  • Travel arrangement for 2 experts (each from Maldives and Sri Lanka) covering ATK, Reduced DSA, TF by UNESCO-IOC through ESCAP Project.
  • Travel arrangement for 2 experts (each from Madagascar and Seychelles) covering ATK, Reduced DSA, TF by UNESCO-IOC through FUST Project.
  • Local Logistics (Accommodation, Local Transport, Training Facilities, etc) by INCOIS.

Course Pre-requisites:

Data and resources for the hands-on-the-job training, all participants must bring:

  • High-quality bathymetry data for the two selected pilot sites:
    • Preferably multibeam data or latest available national/hydrographic datasets.
    • Coverage extending offshore sufficiently for inundation modelling
  • High-resolution topographic data:
    • LiDAR if available, or high-quality DEM from national survey agencies.
    • Shoreline and land-use data for map refinement and validation.
  • Geodetic reference information (vertical datum, coordinate system)
  • Any national tsunami scenario data available
  • Detail information of the selected pilot sites (Demography, Landmarks and Critical infrastructures including schools, hospitals, harbour, gas station, water treatment, and other relevant information of the pilot sites.

Technical Requirements:

Laptop with a minimum of:

  • 16 GB RAM
  • i5/i7 or equivalent processor
  • At least 50 GB free storage
  • GIS software if available (QGIS or ArcGIS preferred)

Course Dates:

16-21 March 2026

Venue:

International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean),
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS),
Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India,
"Ocean Valley", Pragathi Nagar (B.O), Nizampet (S.O),
Hyderabad - 500 090, INDIA

For Any questions please contact the Training Coordinators:




Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)