How France is preparing for Mediterranean and Atlantic tsunamis
As Unesco predicts that a tsunami will hit the Mediterranean within the next 30 to 50 years, French scientists are putting in place warning systems – hoping to avoid a death toll like the one seen in 2004 in the Indian Ocean, when a tsunami killed up to 230,000 people.
The Boxing Day tsunami of 26 December was "a wake-up call for humanity to do more, to better understand disaster risks," said Kamal Kishore, UN special representative for Disaster Risk Reduction.
French scientists have been doing just that, focusing on the risk of a tsunami occurring around its Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts and installing early warning systems.
2004 Indian Ocean tsunami: what to know 20 years on
Unesco has said there is a 100 percent chance of a tsunami of at least 1 metre in height occurring in the Mediterranean in the next 30 to 50 years.
Monitoring activity
In 2012, France established the National Centre for Tsunami Alert (Cenalt), with seismometers working 24 hours a day to monitor earthquake activity around the country – with an eye towards predicting tsunamis on the coast.
Read more on RFI English
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