WORLD TSUNAMI AWARENESS DAY

In December 2015, the UN General Assembly designated 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day.

Tsunamis are rare. But they can be extremely deadly. In the past 100 years, more than 260,000 people have perished in 58 separate tsunamis. At an average of 4,600 deaths per disaster, the toll has surpassed any other natural hazard. Tsunamis know no borders, making international cooperation key for deeper political and public understanding of risk reduction measures. As a result, the UN General Assembly has designated 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day and called on the world to mark it.

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. The date of 5 November was chosen in honour…