World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025 – Cairo Commemoration & Multi-Hazard Resilience Forum

About the event

In 2015, the UN General Assembly designated 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) to promote understanding of tsunami risk and support the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

While tsunami events are infrequent, their impacts can be catastrophic-and the systems built for tsunami early warning and preparedness also strengthen readiness for a wide range of coastal and climate hazards, including sea-level rise, storm surge, cyclones, flash floods, extreme heat, and sand & dust storms.

The Cairo Commemoration & Multi-Hazard Resilience Forum will use WTAD 2025 as an entry point to:

• Spotlight tsunami and coastal risk profiles relevant to Egypt's Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts;
• Highlight education systems and schools as key multipliers for preparedness and resilience;
• Bring together government, UN, research institutions, and partners to strengthen early warning to early action.

Objectives

• Raise awareness on tsunami and coastal multi-hazard risks in Egypt and the wider Arab region, with a focus on prevention, preparedness, and education.
• Showcase joint UNESCO-UNDRR efforts to integrate disaster risk reduction into education sector planning (policies, curricula, risk-safe schools, drills, teacher training), aligned with the League of Arab States (LAS) regional roadmap.
• Strengthen coordination among hydromet services, civil protection, education, local authorities, research centers, and UN agencies for early warning systems, risk communication, and school safety.
• Mobilize partnerships with donors and embassies for technical and financial support to coastal and climate resilience, including school-safety initiatives and data-driven early warning.

Expected outcomes

By the end of the event, partners aim to agree on:

• A concise "Cairo Communiqué" capturing 3-5 concrete next steps (e.g. curricula and teacher-training actions, coastal school drills, harmonized risk messages for students and teachers).
• A way forward to update and implement a DRR-in-Education action plan aligned with the LAS roadmap (milestones, leads, timelines).
• Partner pledges (technical support, pilot sites, communication and visibility).
• A short post-event brief and media assets (press note, talking points) for dissemination.

Target audience

• Government ministries and agencies (crisis & disaster management, education, higher education, hydromet, environment, planning and finance, water resources, coastal governorates)
• National research centers, universities, and teacher training institutions
• UN agencies and international organizations
• Embassies, donors, the private sector, and media representatives