Over 500 people joined an online high-level event to mark the 6th World Tsunami Awareness Day today. The accent was very much on science and youth, and the inclusion of tsunami risk in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to disaster risk reduction, disaster response and planning for safe evacuation from disaster events - including tsunamis. World Tsunami Day promotes a global culture for tsunami preparedness and response.
United Nations Development Programme - Headquarters
On World Tsunami Awareness Day, we call on countries, international bodies, and civil society to increase understanding about the threat and share innovative approaches to reduce risks.
However rare they might be, tsunamis are the single most deadly of all sudden onset natural hazards. Millions of people live and work in tsunami-exposed communities across the world’s oceans.
In the wake of the 2004 tsunami, coastal forests helped dampen damage from the tsunami. Building on this, an Indonesian NGO called 'Yagasu' are using mangroves to bolster ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, improve local livelihood, and aid in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific
Due to the rapid progress and great danger of tsunami disasters, many countries have introduced tsunami warning systems. Their role is to provide as accurate and timely information as possible about the threat.
A survey conducted on the North Island's east coast in 2015 found that despite a high level of public awareness of tsunami hazard, there was still plenty of room for improvement in public evacuation intention.
Wei Zhang used GIS and statistical data to construct a novel model of tsunami damage in Fairfield, CT. The model can easily transfer to other storm types and communities.
