By Obiabin Onukwugha
In December 2015, the UN General Assembly designated 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day, calling on countries, international bodies and civil societies to raise tsunami awareness and share innovative approaches to risk reduction.
A tsunami is a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance usually associated with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean.
Tsunamis can be deadly and have a devastating global impact, causing mass fatalities, widespread destruction to property and infrastructure, and as well, significant economic damage that can be felt across the Pacific or Indian Oceans.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), reported that between 1998-2017, tsunamis caused more than 250 000 deaths globally, including more than 227,000 deaths due to the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
World Tsunami Awareness Day was the brainchild of Japan, which due to its repeated, bitter experience has over the years built up major expertise in areas such as tsunami early warning, public action and building back better after a disaster to reduce future impacts.
UN Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) facilitates the observance of World Tsunami Awareness Day in collaboration with the rest of the United Nations system.
This year’s theme for the World Tsunami Awareness Day is “Be Tsunami Ready: Invest in Tsunami Preparedness.”
According to the United Nations, (UN), the World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025 shines a spotlight on building resilient communities through the Tsunami Ready Programme—a global effort to turn awareness into action.
This year’s campaign, according to the World body, champions proactive preparedness, uniting governments, scientists, local leaders, and the public to reduce tsunami risks together.
“Aligned with the themes of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development – “Financing Our Future”, the campaign calls for smart investments in resilience and shared responsibility for safer shores,” the UN said in a statement posted on its website .
“Rapid urbanization and growing tourism in tsunami-prone regions are putting ever-more people in harm’s way,” the UN said, “That makes the reduction of risk a key factor if the world is to achieve substantial reductions in disaster mortality – a primary goal of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 15-year international agreement adopted in March 2015 to succeed the Hyogo Framework.”
In 2022, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) launched the #GetToHighGround campaign to promote awareness about reducing the risk of tsunamis.
The campaign encourages citizens to participate in drills, runs, or walks along tsunami evacuation routes, which helps communities prepare for natural disasters and build their resilience.
“These events are inclusive and engaging, and they involve all people in raising awareness about reducing tsunami risk.
“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,” the statement said.