Introducing the DEMONAX Cyprus Earthquake Full-Scale Exercise Project
An introduction on the background, rationale, and activities of the DEMONAX Full-Scale Exercise project.
EarthquakeTsunami
By project DEMONAX staff
Historically, the South-Eastern Mediterranean has been severely affected by the occurrence of deadly earthquakes which have destroyed entire civilizations. This is due to the co-existence of the Eurasian, Arabian and African tectonic plates. The island of Cyprus lies near the boundary of these tectonic plates, making it an area severely exposed to seismic hazards. Historical reports and archaeological findings testify that Cyprus has been hit by 20 catastrophic earthquakes of an intensity greater than V (modified Mercalli scale), occurring between 26 BC and 1900 AD. The figure on the right showcases the seismic activity in the island during the last 120 years (data from Cyprus Geological Survey Department).
The occurrence of a large-scale earthquake event in Cyprus can have very serious societal consequences. These consequences will far exceed the national response capacities of the Republic. The implementation of the DEMONAX Full-Scale Exercise (FSX) project (‘Δυμώναξ’ is one of the most famous Greek Cynic Philosophers, born in Cyprus on the 2nd Century BC) aims to address these challenges by simulating the case of a very large earthquake of moment magnitude (Mw) 7, similar to the one which devastated the island in 1222. The earthquake’s epicenter will be in the south-west of Cyprus (offshore), generating also a subsequent tsunami event. This scenario will develop a very realistic, challenging environment for the response capacities of the Republic of Cyprus, providing the basis for the implementation of a series of disaster response activities, supported by the Activation of the UCP Mechanism.
In particular, following the activation of the Mechanism by the Republic of Cyprus through CESIS, five (5) international response teams from Greece, France, Italy, Montenegro, Italy and Germany will be deployed in the island for USAR assistance, under the support of an EUCP Team and according to the EU Host Nation Support Guidelines. The DEMONAX project Consortium which will design and implement these activities includes a highly skilled and equipped core group of national civil protection authorities which have the capacity to complement each other, as well as research/academic institutes with significant experience and knowledge of the local environment.
The main aim of the DEMONAX FSX project is to provide a testing environment and a learning opportunity for all actors involved in civil protection assistance interventions
At the same time, the implementation of the DEMONAX FSX project will satisfy the following specific objectives:
- Enhance the disaster response capacity of the Republic of Cyprus.
- Boost the capabilities of the Republic of Cyprus in hosting international assistance in the case of disasters.
- Foster and improve the collaboration between the major civil protection stakeholders within the Republic of Cyprus.
- Contribute to raising the awareness of all societal stakeholders in Cyprus with regards to the earthquake hazard and its cascading effects like the Tsunami hazards.
About the author
Project DEMONAX staff
Strengthening the Large-Scale Earthquake Resilience of Cyprus by Implementing Joint Planning and Response Operations facilitated by the UCPM.