The Expert Meeting on Seismic Sources of Tsunamis in the Northwest (NW) Caribbean and Non-Seismic Sources in the Caribbean Region was convened by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO in Heredia, Costa Rica, from 3–5 December 2024. The meeting brought together regional and international experts to improve understanding, characterization, and numerical modelling of tsunami sources in the Caribbean Basin, with a particular focus on the NW Caribbean and non-seismic mechanisms such as landslides and volcanic activity.

The meeting aimed to support Member States of the Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE-EWS) in refining tsunami source databases, hazard assessments, and community preparedness preparedness initiatives under the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme. It filled two key knowledge gaps: (1) The lack of validated seismic tsunami source models for the NW Caribbean (from the Gulf of Honduras to southern Cuba); and (2) The absence of a comprehensive review of non-seismic tsunami sources (landslides and volcanic events) across the entire Caribbean region.