Raising Waves of Awareness: World Tsunami Awareness Day
The fifth of November is recognised annually as World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) .It is a time to educate people everywhere about the dangers of tsunamis and the value of being prepared for them in coastal areas. To protect at-risk coastal areas from the devastation caused by tsunamis, the United Nations established this day to bring attention to the importance of early warning systems, catastrophe risk reduction, and education. To safeguard our coastal towns against this natural calamity, we need to take life-saving precautions, and World Tsunami Awareness Day is a powerful reminder of this.
Understanding Tsunami
Tsunamis, also known in Japanese as “tsu” (harbour) and “nami” (wave), are a natural phenomenon of incredible strength and damage. Tsunamis are caused by underwater disturbances that set off a cascade of events that culminates in massive ocean waves. These disturbances are most typically induced by tectonic plate movements, notably during subduction zones, where one tectonic plate is forced beneath another. When a large amount of seawater is displaced by this abrupt movement, tsunami waves form, frequently beneath the ocean’s surface. These waves can have extremely long wavelengths and move at extraordinary speeds, sometimes exceeding 500 miles per hour (800 km per hour) in deep water.
Tsunamis are increasingly dangerous as they approach shallow coastal locations. The enormous energy stored in these waves is forced upwards as they approach shallow waters, causing the sea level to increase fast. This can result in the creation of massive waves that, when they reach the coastline, release their fury with disastrous effects. The sheer intensity and height of these waves can inundate coastal regions, destroy shorelines, and submerge entire cities. While tsunamis are relatively rare in comparison to other natural disasters, their impact can be catastrophic, leaving a trail of ruin in their wake. Understanding the complex interplay of geological, oceanographic, and physical processes that cause tsunamis is critical for both scientific inquiry and, more critically, for the protection and readiness of coastal communities vulnerable to these natural events.
The Catastrophic Effects of Tsunamis
The sheer size and power of a tsunami makes it one of the world’s deadliest natural disasters. Massive ocean waves have devastating consequences when they hit land. Tsunamis cause extensive damage and loss of life because of the high velocity and volume of the water that they carry. Coastal flooding is one of a tsunami’s most devastating effects. Crushing low-lying areas and consuming everything in their path, these gigantic waves swiftly increase in height as they approach the shoreline and crash onshore. Within minutes, entire neighbourhoods, buildings, and landscapes can be flooded, causing widespread devastation.
Tsunamis are devastating not only because of the immediate flooding they cause, but also because of the long-term effects they might have. In many cases, trash, sediment, and toxins from the seafloor are dragged along by the mighty wave. This poses major health hazards to survivors and makes post-tsunami recovery much more difficult because it can contaminate freshwater sources and agricultural land. Tsunamis also pose a threat to marine life and coastal ecosystems because they can destroy coasts and throw them out of equilibrium. Rebuilding towns and infrastructure after a tsunami can take a long time and cost a lot of money. Economic repercussions are possible, and the psychological damage suffered by survivors may persist for a long time. Realising the devastating effects of tsunamis highlights the critical importance of preparation, early warning systems, and international cooperation in mitigating the dangers posed by such events.
The History of WTAD
World Tsunami Awareness Day was officially declared by the United Nations General Assembly on November 5, 2015. During this time, countries, international agencies, and civil society are encouraged to enhance awareness regarding disasters and exchange constructive strategies for mitigating risks.
The concept was adopted from Japan, which, through decades of repeated encounters with tsunamis, has amassed crucial knowledge that can be disseminated in areas including public engagement, improved reconstruction planning to mitigate future consequences, and worldwide notification of catastrophic water wave events.
World Tsunami Awareness Day was established to demonstrate the dedication of the international community to enhancing resilience and mitigating the risks associated with natural disasters. It symbolises a collaborative endeavour to honour the survivors of previous tsunamis while simultaneously anticipating a future that is more secure and well-equipped. The coordination of the World Tsunami Awareness Day was carried out by UN Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in conjunction with the entire United Nations system.
In the last 100 years, 58 tsunamis have killed over 260,000 people, more than any other natural calamity. The biggest number of deaths happened during those 100 years in December 2004, when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck. It killed 227,000 people in 14 countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. Only three weeks after the tsunami, the international community gathered in Kobe, Japan, to approve the 10-year Hyogo Framework for Action. This was the first comprehensive global catastrophe risk reduction pact.
Source: National Today
Early warning systems
Early warning systems are critical in reducing the devastation caused by tsunamis. These technologies protect coastal populations by delivering essential information and valuable minutes to prepare and perform life-saving actions. An early warning system is essentially a complicated network of monitoring instruments and communication channels that continuously examine ocean and seismic activity. When a potential tsunami trigger, such as an undersea earthquake, is discovered, the system quickly processes the data and delivers notifications to at-risk communities. Sirens, text messages, radio and television broadcasts, and digital notifications are all examples of alerts. The goal is to reach as many people as possible within the vulnerable areas, allowing them to seek higher ground or move inland.
Early warning systems’ effectiveness is determined not just by their technological capabilities, but also by their integration with education and preparedness initiatives. When a tsunami warning is issued, communities that have formed good response plans and completed evacuation drills are better prepared to respond calmly and quickly. Early warning technologies, public education, and preparedness measures all work together to drastically minimise the chance of casualties and save lives. It demonstrates the effectiveness of preventative measures in limiting the deadly impact of tsunamis, emphasising the significance of constantly developing and expanding these systems to safeguard vulnerable coastal communities across the world.
World Tsunami Awareness Day 2023
In 2023, the World Trade Organisation Day’s theme will be “fighting inequality for a resilient future,” which is also the theme of the International Day for Disaster Reduction. The reciprocal relationship between tsunamis and inequality will be investigated through a variety of activities. These activities will investigate how inequality makes certain populations more susceptible to the dangers posed by tsunamis, as well as how the aftermath of a tsunami might push vulnerable people further into poverty and worsen inequality.
WTAD 2023 activities will centre on increasing knowledge of the underlying disaster risk drivers, such as poverty, inequality, and vulnerability, which make tsunamis more lethal for people who are at the greatest danger.