Rabat – Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology has decided to open tenders for a study for setting up a tsunami warning system.
The opening of bids will start on June 21 and is open to experts and consultants from Morocco and abroad, and the study is estimated to cost around MAD 1.5 million ($152,000).
The study, expected to take 14 months, will include an extensive diagnosis of Morocco’s coasts and the level of the tsunami threat in the country, as well as detailing the best way to deal with the issue.
The main purpose of the study will remain to determine the relevance and importance of a warning system for tsunamis in Morocco.
Recent studies show that Morocco has become more vulnerable to tsunami threats.
A report from the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) points to the Alboran Sea as a particularly vulnerable area, adding that there is a likelihood of a potential tsunami hitting Moroccan coasts.
Tsunamis are a series of large waves usually caused by underwater explosions such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The destructive power of tsunamis can be enormous, but recent developments regarding climate change have made their occurrence much likely due to rising sea levels and the increasing likelihood of landslides.
The Ras Tarf and Nador coasts are currently considered as the most vulnerable in the Albaron Sea in the case of an underwater explosion.
