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Tsunamis in Panama – history, preparation and future consequences

Abstract:

In the last two decades, the vulnerability of coastal populations to the occurrence of natural phenomena such as tsunamis has increased, among other hazards that have existed throughout the development of civilizations and have constantly kept at risk the resources that a population needs for its development. The current study presents a representative sample of the perception of the population regarding the possibility of the occurrence of a natural phenomenon such as the tsunami on the Panamanian coasts. Although Panama is not at the top of the list of countries with high risk of current tsunamis, it does maintain an index that must be considered for the development of prevention strategies, so it is necessary to determine the perception of the population in order to execute contingency plans. The performed survey clearly demonstrates the poor preparation of the Panamanian population and the need for a drastic increase in the carrying out of all kinds of preventive activities towards tsunamis and their respective hazards.