World Tsunami Awareness Day

  A Report to Commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami . The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami (the ‘IOT’ or ‘2004 tsunami’) remains one of the most devastating disasters in modern history, never to be forgotten in the countries it a!ected. It has shaped the trajectory of disaster management and humanitarian response in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region and beyond.  HOW THE DISASTER UNFOLDED?  Triggered by a powerful undersea earthquake, the tsunami radiated immense energy across the Indian Ocean, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. On the morning of 26 December 2004, at 7:58 am local time in Aceh, a massive earthquake occurred o! the west coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake was caused by a rupture along a 1,200-kilometre section of the subduction zone where the Indian Plate was thrust beneath the overriding Burma Plate. This sudden movement displaced enormous volumes of water, generating tsunamis that...

2025 - Key milestones under the Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme brought the global community closer to a safer future for coastal populations. When a tsunami strikes, every minute matters. While most tsunamis are triggered by earthquakes, some of the most dangerous events are caused by volcanoes, landslides, or atmospheric disturbances. These “non-seismic” tsunamis can develop rapidly and often evade traditional warning systems, leaving communities with little time to respond. To address this challenge, the Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme (ODTP) is working toward an ambitious goal: a fully operational all-sources tsunami early warning system (TEWS) by 2030. Throughout 2025, a series of coordinated global and regional initiatives led by the Tsunami Resilience Section of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO helped accelerate progress toward this objective. Beyond earthquakes: improving detection of non-seismic tsunamis One of the greatest challenges in tsunami ...

Investments in tsunami early warning , evacuation mapping , risk education , and regular drills reduce mortality, limit disruption, and protect development gains along coasts.

Interoperable, cross-border systems and shared protocols create timely, trusted tsunami alerts and a common operating picture across entire coastlines.

Financing aligned with coastal risk , together with proven and emerging tsunami technologies (e.g., detection networks , inundation modelling , resilient infrastructure ), underpins durable coastal economies.

Because tsunamis are low-frequency, high-impact hazards, sustained public awareness maintains tsunami risk memory , keeps evacuation routes and roles familiar, and supports whole-of-society resilience .

A performance-based community framework using tsunami-specific indicators such as accessible public information, routine education activities , and community tsunami drills signals that essential safeguards are in place.

As we mark 80 years since the founding of the United Nations, it is important to celebrate the moments when international cooperation tangibly improved people’s lives. Among the great successes was the expansion of tsunami early warning systems in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Thanks to those crucial investments 20 years ago, many countries now have access to life-saving tsunami alerts. We saw this in action just a few months ago, when an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia triggered tsunami warnings across the region – from Southeast Asia and Japan, to the small islands of the Pacific, and as far as the western coast of the United States. But we must not become complacent. Disaster risks are evolving. More people and economic assets are in coastal regions. And with rising sea levels, due to global warming, tsunami waves can travel farther inland than before. To stay ahead, countries need to continuously reassess community vulnerabilities, strengthen the ...

To mark World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Japan, through the regional Tsunami Project , hosted the Tsunami Amazing Race in Serangan Village, Denpasar city, Bali, Indonesia. Organised in collaboration with the Bali Province's Disaster Management Agency (BPBD Bali) and the Bali Province Disaster Risk Reduction Forum (FPRB Bali), the event brought together over 300 participants, including students, community members, volunteers, and local government officials from Serangan and neighbouring districts. Representatives from the Embassy of Japan and UNDP also attended the Race. The Tsunami Amazing Race was organised as part of the UNDP-Government of Japan regional Tsunami Project, which since 2017 has been helping schools and communities across the Asia-Pacific region, including in Indonesia to strengthen their tsunami preparedness. Hands-on Learning for Tsunami Preparedness Participants were divided into 20 teams...

On a quiet July morning in Severo-Kurilsk, a coastal town in the East of the Russian Federation, the sea began to retreat unnaturally fast. Within minutes, tsunami sirens blared and 2,700 residents evacuated to higher ground. Waves up to five meters inundated the port and fish factory, but no lives were lost. The town's survival reflected years of investment in early warning systems, community drills, and resilient infrastructure. The 2025 Kamchatka tsunami demonstrated what preparedness can achieve when science, governance, and community action align. These efforts build on a broader regional commitment. The functioning Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) and the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (PTWS) have enabled real-time seismic and sea-level monitoring, coordinated drills, the expansion of tsunami service providers, and integration of tsunami preparedness into national disaster management frameworks across 46 ESCAP coastal countries. As...

On 5 November , the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and partners commemorated  World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025  at the UN Headquarters in New York. The event brought together Member States, UN leaders, scientists, city officials and youth representatives under the theme “ Be Tsunami Ready: Invest in Tsunami Preparedness. ” A decade of progress and partnership Co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Japan, Chile, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand, together with the Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends for Disaster Risk Reduction (Australia, Indonesia, Norway and Peru), as well as UNESCO and UNDRR, the commemoration reflected on ten years of progress since the establishment of World Tsunami Awareness Day. Speakers highlighted advancements in tsunami awareness, education and early warning. Delivering a message on behalf of Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Mr. Yamazaki Kazuyuki, Permanent Representative of Japan, underscored the importan...

The World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025 Campaign is dedicated to advancing tsunami resilience through alignment with the Tsunami Ready Programme , a global initiative aimed at strengthening community resilience through awareness and preparedness strategies. This campaign seeks to highlight the importance of proactive measures in mitigating tsunami risks , fostering collaboration among all stakeholders – governments, academia, local leaders, and the public to enhance tsunami preparedness. The theme "Be Tsunami Ready: Invest in Tsunami Preparedness "  is to be aligned with the theme of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, on 13 October, and the theme of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development “ Financing Our Future ” that happened on 30 June.

We are not powerless against tsunami. Instead, tsunami preparedness acts as both a public good and a sound economic strategy , through protecting lives and development gains. Use the Stop Disasters game this World Tsunami Awareness Day to see firsthand the actions needed to protect lives and development gains. In the tsunami hazard scenario, use the given time and budget to best protect your coastline, and discover the power we have to be tsunami ready . Test your strategy in the Stop Disasters tsunami scenario: plan, protect, and prepare a resilient village before disaster strikes! Play the Tsunami scenario of the game .