UN urges Spain to prepare its Mediterranean coastal cities to face a tsunami by the end of the decade
SPAIN must brace for a future tsunami along its Mediterranean coastline, the United Nations has said, amid global efforts to ensure all at-risk coastal communities are fully prepared by 2030.
The warning comes from UNESCO, the UN’s scientific and cultural agency, which has launched a programme to train vulnerable coastal areas around the world as ‘tsunami-ready’ before the end of the decade.
According to UNESCO, there is a 100% probability that a tsunami of at least one metre will strike somewhere in the Mediterranean within the next 30 years, making preparedness a priority for countries including Spain.
The threat is particularly relevant for Spain’s Mediterranean coast, the Balearic Islands and parts of Andalucia facing the Alboran Sea, where millions of residents and tourists live in areas that could be exposed to tsunami waves triggered by underwater earthquakes or landslides.
Scientists have long identified the Alboran Sea, between southern Spain and North Africa, as one of the region’s most significant seismic zones.
In some scenarios, tsunami waves could reach parts of the Spanish coast within minutes of a major underwater earthquake, leaving little time for evacuation.
UNESCO’s Tsunami Ready programme aims to improve local preparedness through measures including evacuation planning, public awareness campaigns and emergency drills.
The initiative is designed to ensure communities know how to react immediately when alerts are issued.
“The warning system alone is not enough,” the agency stressed, arguing that residents and local authorities must be trained to respond quickly and effectively when disaster strikes.
Spain has already begun taking steps, with the Cadiz municipality of Chipiona becoming the first Spanish town to receive UNESCO’s Tsunami Ready recognition in 2023.
The programme is expected to expand to more Spanish coastal municipalities over the coming years as authorities seek to strengthen resilience in some of the country’s busiest tourist destinations.
The Mediterranean is often perceived as a relatively calm sea, but it has experienced hundreds of recorded tsunamis throughout history.
One of the most recent occurred in 2003, when a powerful earthquake off the Algerian coast generated waves that were detected across the western Mediterranean, including parts of Spain.
Experts warn that the region’s dense coastal populations and booming tourism industry mean the consequences of a future tsunami could be severe if communities are not adequately prepared.
