World Tsunami Awareness Day
World Tsunami Awareness Day and United Nations observances What are tsunamis, a series of massive waves caused by underwater turbulence usually associated with earthquakes below or near the ocean How do we help countries at risk of tsunamis
International cooperation for developing countries to raise tsunami awareness
World Tsunami Awareness Day
In 2021, World Tsunami Awareness Day promotes the Seventh Sendai Campaign with the aim of “significantly enhancing international cooperation with developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions to implement the current framework by 2030.”
2030 solutions to protect the world’s population from floods, storms and tsunamis
By 2030, an estimated 50 percent of the world’s population will live in coastal areas prone to floods, storms and tsunamis. Expanding international cooperation with developing countries will help ensure that by 2030 100% of communities at risk of a tsunami are prepared and resilient.
The United Nations and the world’s awareness of the dangers of a tsunami
In December 2015, the United Nations General Assembly designated November 5 as International Tsunami Awareness Day and called on states, international bodies and civil society to raise tsunami awareness and share innovative approaches to reducing risks.
Find out which country created the tsunami
Because of its repeated bitter experience, World Tsunami Awareness Day was the brainchild of Japan, which over the years has gained great experience in areas such as tsunami early warning, public action, and rebuilding better after a disaster to reduce future impacts. The United Nations for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is facilitating the observance of World Tsunami Awareness Day in collaboration with the rest of the United Nations system.
What you do not know about the dangers of tsunami waves
Rare but Deadly Tsunamis are rare but can be extremely deadly. In the past 100 years, 58 of them have killed more than 260,000 people, or an average of 4,600 per disaster, more than any other natural hazard.
The largest number of deaths in that period was in the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. It caused an estimated 227,000 deaths in 14 countries with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand worst affected.
Just three weeks later, the international community gathered in Kobe, Japan’s Hyogo region. Governments adopted the 10-year Hyogo Framework for Action, the first comprehensive global agreement for disaster risk reduction.
The global tsunami warning in the Indian Ocean and how to reduce its severity and severity
They also created the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System, which includes dozens of seismic and sea level stations and disseminates alerts to national tsunami information centres.
The growing tourism in areas prone to tsunami risks and the protection of humans from its damage
Rapid urbanization and growing tourism in tsunami-prone areas are putting more people in harm’s way. This makes reducing risk a key factor if the world is to achieve significant reductions in disaster deaths – the primary goal of the Sendai Framework, the 15-year international agreement adopted in March 2015 to succeed the Hyogo Framework for Action.
What is a tsunami?
The word “tsunami” is made up of the Japanese words “tsu” (meaning harbor) and “nami” (meaning wave). A tsunami is a series of massive waves caused by underwater turbulence usually associated with earthquakes that occur below or near the ocean.
Volcanoes cause waves, floods, earthquakes and tsunamis
Volcanic eruptions, undersea landslides, and coastal rock falls can also generate tsunamis, as can a large asteroid impacting the ocean. It arises from the vertical movement of the sea floor with the consequent displacement of the water mass.
Places attacked by floods, waves, earthquakes and tsunamis
Tsunamis often look like walls of water and can attack the shoreline and be dangerous for hours, with waves coming every 5 to 60 minutes.
Deadly tsunami waves and tsunami floods
The first wave may not be the largest and often the second, third, fourth or even subsequent wave is the largest. After a wave sinks or becomes submerged in inland water, it recedes towards the sea often as far as a person can see so the sea floor is exposed. The next wave then rushes to shore within minutes and brings with it many floating debris destroyed by the previous waves.
What are the causes of tsunami?
Earthquakes are one of the main causes of tsunamis
It can be generated by movements along fault zones associated with plate boundaries.
Most strong earthquakes occur in subduction zones where the ocean plate slides under a younger continental plate or oceanic plate.
Not all earthquakes cause tsunamis. There are four necessary conditions for an earthquake or tsunami to occur:
The earthquake must occur under the ocean or cause material to slide into the ocean.
The earthquake must be at least 6.5 on the Richter scale
The earthquake must rupture the earth’s surface and must occur at a shallow depth – less than 70 km below the earth’s surface.
The earthquake must cause vertical movement of the sea floor (up to several metres).
Landslides cause tsunami and waves of anger
A landslide that occurs along the coast can push large amounts of water into the sea, disturbing the water and causing a tsunami. Underwater landslides can also trigger tsunamis when material softened by a landslide moves violently and pushes water in front of it.
Volcanic eruptions cause deadly floods and tsunamis
Although relatively rare, violent volcanic eruptions also represent an eruption disturbance which can displace a large amount of water and generate very destructive tsunamis in the immediate source area.
The largest tsunami in the world
One of the largest and most destructive tsunami ever recorded was recorded on August 26, 1883 after the eruption and collapse of the Krakatoa volcano (Krakatua) in Indonesia. The blast sent waves up to 135 feet and devastated coastal towns and villages along the Sunda Strait on both the islands of Java and Sumatra, killing 36,417 people.
Extraterrestrial collisions cause tsunami
Tsunamis caused by extraterrestrial collisions (such as asteroids and meteorites) are extremely rare. Although no meteorite/asteroid tsunami has been recorded in recent history, scientists are aware that if these celestial bodies hit the ocean, a large amount of water would undoubtedly be displaced to cause a tsunami.
World Tsunami Awareness Day logo on social media
Use the assets to share the #Tsunami #Only Together social media campaign
Did you know about the tsunami
A tsunami is a rare event, but it is the deadliest and most costly of all hazards. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan cost more than $235 billion and was the most costly in world history.
More than 700 million people live in low-lying coastal areas and small island developing states that are prone to extreme sea-level events, including tsunamis.
Over the past two decades, tsunamis have caused nearly 10 percent of economic losses from disasters, reversing development gains, particularly in countries bordering the Indo-Pacific.
Tsunami-prone communities
In 2009, a devastating tsunami destroyed 20 villages in Samoa and killed 187 people. Today, ready-made tsunami plans have been integrated into the disaster management plans of more than 380 schools, including regular exercises and educational programs for students. Watch the stories of other communities preparing for a tsunami.
Your role in responding to the tsunami is global advocacy for tsunami awareness
Czech model and entrepreneur Petra Nemkova is the UN’s official global advocate for disaster risk reduction for tsunami awareness, which is celebrated on November 5 each year. Petra Nemcova not only survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand, but also found a way to continue living and share her experience of serving people affected by disasters.