
U N I T E D N A T I O N S – N A T I O N S U N I E S
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
WRITTEN MESSAGE ON WORLD TSUNAMI AWARENESS DAY
5 November 2021
On the occasion of World Tsunami Awareness Day, we call on countries, international organizations and society itself to become more aware of this threat and to share new approaches to reduce its risks. We can improve thanks to the results obtained, ranging from greater awareness of the communities exposed to this phenomenon, to the inclusion of the United Nations Tsunami program in the Decade of ocean sciences for sustainable development. Despite this, the risks remain immeasurable. The rise in sea levels caused by the climate emergency will aggravate the destructive power of tsunamis. In fact, we must limit warming to 1.5 degrees on pre-industrial averages by investing in the resilience of coastal communities. Scientific and international cooperation, as well as readiness and timely action, must be the basis for saving lives from tsunamis and other dangers. Increasing support for developing countries along with improving early detection is essential. In the face of complex global crises, we need to be better prepared. We work together to decrease the risk of tsunamis, drawing inspiration from the Sendai framework for risk reduction, creating together the capacity to resist these disasters.