Tsunamis can be deadly, but they needn’t be. Early warning and early action are effective tools to protect people, saving lives, and preventing the hazard from becoming a disaster. To be effective, tsunami early-warning systems must cover every at-risk person, they must be multi-hazard, and communities must be prepared so they can act quickly.

WTAD news and publications

News

Composite image on tsunami solutions
Update

Tsunami-proofing the future: Seven smart solutions to shape safer shores

Explore seven cutting-edge solutions that exemplify how clever design can protect coastal communities and help prevent tsunamis from becoming disasters.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Woman looking at the ocean
Update

Navigating the waves: Strengthening tsunami preparedness in a changing climate

The aftermath of the 2004 tsunami led to the establishment of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) which provides critical tsunami warning and mitigation services to 27 Indian Ocean Basin countries.
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP)
Arugam Bay, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
Update

World Tsunami Awareness Day: Advancing skills for life-saving water rescue operations

With coastal communities that remain highly vulnerable to tsunamis and other climate-related hazards, the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Sri Lanka (A-PAD SL) has been organizing Swift Water Search and Rescue (SAR) training programmes.
Connecting Business initiative
School Tsunami Preparedness Activity in Bali
Update

Early warning systems critical as world marks Tsunami Awareness Day

UN Secretary General António Guterres marks World Tsunami Awareness Day by stressing the critical need for early warning systems amid increasing extreme weather events like Spain's floods. The Early Warnings for All initiative aims for a universal access.
United Nations - Headquarters
Update

World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024: Educating the next generation on life-saving preparedness

20 years after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, UNESCO is educating the next generation on tsunami preparedness through initiatives like the Tsunami United Programme, equipping youth with life-saving knowledge and skills.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - Headquarters
Shipwreck in an ocean
Update

The day the wave came: 20 years after the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami

The 2004 tsunami devastated 14 countries, killing 230,000 and leaving 2 million homeless. It spurred global aid, with the EU providing extensive support and reshaping disaster preparedness with a focus on resilience and 'build back better' strategies.
European Commission
The aftermath of a Tsunami
Update

World Tsunami Awareness Day: Long or strong, get gone – but where to?

On World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024, NEMA urges New Zealanders to check if they’re in a tsunami zone and practice evacuation routes. While awareness is high, knowing where to go and being prepared are key to staying safe in an emergency.
New Zealand - government
Secretary-General António Guterres
Statements and messages

Secretary-General's message on World Tsunami Awareness Day

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami - one of the deadliest disasters in recent history. More than 230,000 people lost their lives.
United Nations - Headquarters
Kamal Kishore
Statements and messages

Head of UNDRR message on World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024

Twenty years ago, the Indian Ocean tsunami which emanated as a result of an earthquake that occurred off the coast of Indonesia had devastating consequences.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
students gathered
Update

Record number of students at High School Students Summit in Japan

The High School Students Summit on World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024, held in Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture on 23 and 24 October, broke records as the largest and most inclusive to date.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Kobe Office

Publications

Cover
Educational materials

Tsunamis 2024

This child-friendly booklet is for kids who are 6-12 years old to. It generates tsunami awareness among children through animated characters and simple but strong messages.
Cover
Documents and publications

Concept Note: World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024

Empowering the next generation with the lessons of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Cover
Documents and publications

World Tsunami Awareness Day 2023: Fighting inequality for a resilient future

The purpose of World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) is to raise awareness about reducing tsunami-related risks and enhance community preparedness.
Cover
Documents and publications

Conference report: The fourth world Tsunami museum conference

Building on the previous World Tsunami Museum Conferences, the Fourth World Tsunami Museum Conference (WTMC4) was held at the International Research Institute for Disaster Science in Tohoku University in City of Sendai, Japan, on 15 December 2022.
Tsunami News 2021
Documents and publications

Tsunami News 2021

In this edition of Tsunami News, we explore examples of how governments and organizations around the world are increasing their levels of cooperation.
Standard guidelines for the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme
Documents and publications

Standard guidelines for the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme

This document presents the Standard Guidelines for the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme - an international performance-based community recognition pilot to reduce tsunami-related risks to individuals and communities.
magazinecover
Documents and publications

Caribbean magazine: Road to recovery

Regional cooperation is rising, systemic governance is center stage and businesses are taking an important role in disaster risk reduction — vital steps towards the ultimate goal of saving lives and livelihoods.
This is the coverpage of the book portraying a teacher holding some papers.
Educational materials

Durie, the 'Tsunami' teacher

Durie, the ‘Tsunami’ Teacher is the first of 'Tsunami Story Books', a series of illustrated real-life stories from the Asia-Pacific for children.
Tsunami News 2020-2021
Documents and publications

Tsunami News 2020-2021

Tsunami News 2020-2021 is a magazine-style publication which covers notable events in the world of tsunami risk management over the last year. On the occasion of World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD), 5 November 2020, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio

Informe WTAD
Documents and publications

World Tsunami Awareness Day Report 2020 (November 5th)

In the documentary “Tsunami Ladies”, producers Emiliano Rodríguez Nuesch and Víctor Orellana show how the women fed neighbors and helped revive their local economies after the tsunamis that hit Chile in 2010 and Japan the following year.

Is this page useful?

Yes No
Report an issue on this page

Thank you. If you have 2 minutes, we would benefit from additional feedback (link opens in a new window).