The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development has officially endorsed the COST Innovators Grant Sustaining AGITHAR – building a Global Tsunami Model Association as a UNESCO Ocean Decade Project.

In 2017, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), known as ‘The Ocean Decade.’ The vision of the Ocean Decade is to provide transformative ocean science solutions for sustainable development, connecting people and the ocean. It brings together scientists, resource providers, governments, businesses and industry, philanthropic Foundations, UN agencies, and many other stakeholders. The aim is to generate scientific knowledge and develop the partnerships needed to support a well-functioning, productive, resilient, and sustainable ocean.
“The COST Innovators Grant, following the COST Action, was instrumental in advancing our topic to a state allowing for the foundation of an association and being able to sustain services that grant us the commendation as a UN Ocean Decade Project," says Jörn Behrens, the Action Chair and Prof. for Numerical Methods in Geosciences, Hamburg, Germany.

The objective of Sustaining AGITHAR is to establish the Global Tsunami Model (GTM) as an independent entity. GTM serves as a collaborative platform for researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to share data, methodologies, and best practices for tsunami risk reduction worldwide.
It will build upon the foundations of the COST Action AGITHAR, which developed and refined Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard and Risk Analysis (PTHA/PTRA) methods and workflows. While PTHA and PTRA offer practical approaches for quantifying and communicating uncertainty in tsunami risk management, their adoption remains limited.
Sustaining AGITHAR, which was granted a COST Innovators Grant in 2023, aims to further develop a product portfolio tailored to the needs of diverse communities. It will explore commercialisation opportunities and secure sustainable funding sources. The ultimate goal is to establish a permanent office focused on communication, coordination, and information exchange, supporting civil society in tsunami disaster risk reduction. GTM seeks to bridge this gap by ensuring broad access to reliable tsunami risk assessments, ultimately improving disaster preparedness and response.

What it means to be endorsed for Sustaining AGITHAR

To be endorsed, Ocean Decade is an outstanding achievement for Sustaining AGITHAR to share the scientific knowledge and the partnerships needed to inspire future projects.
Prof Jörn Behrens adds: “The endorsement as a UN Ocean Decade Project means a lot to us, since it will accelerate the ability to connect with stakeholders of diverse backgrounds and will allow us to apply best practices in tsunami hazard and risk assessment for improved protection of people and property”.

Additional information

View the Sustaining AGITHAR website
View the network website and Action website
The Ocean Decade website
COST Innovators Grant