Feel an earthquake and learn about tsunami risks in Geneva
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction will give Open Day visitors an opportunity to ‘feel’ a real earthquake and learn about the Sendai Framework and prevention measures that can help reduce the impact of such hazards. Two events are proposed – in the morning the virtual reality (VR) experience and in the afternoon, a learning session on the risk of tsunami.
Virtual Reality Experience
In the morning visitors will be able to watch three simulations (3 minutes) using VR headsets to feel and understand the impact of earthquakes. The VR experience is sponsored by Kozo Keikaku Engineering Inc. based in Japan with the support of the UNISDR Kobe Office and will propose three virtual scenarios based on the experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016 and the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake in 1995.
Tsunami in the Lac Leman
In the afternoon, UNISDR will hold a session ahead of World Tsunami Awareness Day (5 November 2017), to raise awareness of the risk of tsunamis with a local case study of a lake tsunami. In 563, a mudslide triggered a tsunami in Lac Leman (Geneva’s lake) creating waves that reached heights of about 8 metres in Geneva and 13 metres in Lausanne. Tsunami risks in Switzerland are rare and low but do exist. Stéphanie Girardclos from the University of Geneva, who carried out a research programme on tsunami risks in Lake Geneva, will be present at the event and answer questions from visitors.