World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025; November 5th.

FORUM "Be Tsunami Ready: Invest in Tsunami Preparedness" World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025. For the 10th anniversary of World Tsunami Awareness Day, we call on all countries to Invest in Tsunami Preparedness to boost global efforts to strengthen tsunami preparedness. By the year 2030, an estimated 50 % of the world’s population will live in coastal areas exposed to flooding, storms and tsunamis. Scaling up international cooperation to developing countries will help ensure that 100% of communities at risk of tsunami are prepared for and resilient to tsunamis by 2030. It's time to reflect on the goal of the Sendai Framework about reducing disaster losses; Some actions can be taken by promoting resilience building measures that protect lives, livelihoods, and economies from the devastating impacts of tsunamis from all sources, including volcanos. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #GetToHighGround, #Ocean&ClimateChange, #TsunamiSafety, #TsunamiAlert, #WaterLevels, #TsunamiCoastalObservations, #WorldTsunamiAwarenessDay, #5november, #TsumaniDay, #DisasterResponse, #DisasterResilience.

EVENT: In New York, UNHQ; On November 5th, starting at 4:00 PM EST will be held a high-level event to mark the World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025 organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Register to participate and Watch the Livestream!

In Geneva, The Observance call for preparedness, inclusion, and cooperation.

High-level Events

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025; November 5th.

Tsunamis are rare events whose consequences can be extremely deadly.

They can claim thousands - even hundreds of thousands - of lives.

But there are ways to keep people safe.

After the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the world chose to invest in early warning systems.

Decades later, that decision is paying off.

The massive earthquake off the Russian coast in late July triggered alerts to millions - from the shores of Japan, to the Pacific Islands, to California.

But the disaster risks continue to evolve.

With sea levels rising, and more and more people living by the coast, early warning systems need investment and improvement.

That is the purpose of 'Early Warnings for All', a UN initiative to establish multi-hazard early warning systems that protect every person on earth by 2027.

Respecting the ocean means recognising its power.

On this 10th World Tsunami Awareness Day, let us invest in preparedness - for every coastline, and every community, everywhere.

Untited Nations Secretary-General.

Attachments

In English: The Secretary-General message for World Tsunami awareness day.
In Arabic: The Secretary-General message for World Tsunami awareness day - Arabic.
In French: Le secrétaire général message publié à l’occasion de la journée mondiale de sensibilisation aux tsunamis.
In Chinese: 秘书长在2025年11月5日世界海啸意识日之际的致辞.
In Russian; ГЕНЕРАЛЬНЫЙ СЕКРЕТАРЬ ПОСЛАНИЕ ПО СЛУЧАЮ ВСЕМИРНОГО ДНЯ РАСПРОСТРАНЕНИЯ ИНФОРМАЦИИ О ПРОБЛЕМЕ ЦУНАМИ.
In Spanish: El secretario general mensaje con motivo del día mundial de concienciación sobre los tsunamis 
In japanese; 世界津波の日（11月5日）に寄せるアントニオ・グテーレス国連事務総長メッセージ (Japanese) 

Statement of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction on World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025; November 5th.

As we mark 80 years since the founding of the United Nations, it is important to celebrate the moments when international cooperation tangibly improved people’s lives.

Among the great successes was the expansion of tsunami early warning systems in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Thanks to those crucial investments 20 years ago, many countries now have access to life-saving tsunami alerts.

We saw this in action just a few months ago, when an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia triggered tsunami warnings across the region – from Southeast Asia and Japan, to the small islands of the Pacific, and as far as the western coast of the United States.

But we must not become complacent. Disaster risks are evolving. More people and economic assets are in coastal regions. And with rising sea levels, due to global warming, tsunami waves can travel farther inland than before.

To stay ahead, countries need to continuously reassess community vulnerabilities, strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure, and enhance early warning systems so that no one is left behind.

Sustained investment is essential.
Invest in tsunami preparedness

That is why, for the 10th anniversary of World Tsunami Awareness Day, we call on all countries to “Invest in Tsunami Preparedness.”

These investments pay for themselves when we consider that a warning of only 24 hours can reduce damages by up to 30% and that every dollar spent on making infrastructure resilient in developing countries saves at least four dollars in averted disaster losses.

This year, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction is proud to once again partner with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO to promote the Tsunami Ready Programme and to support the Indian Ocean-wide tsunami exercises – IO Wave.

We also extend our sincere gratitude to Japan for its steadfast support for World Tsunami Awareness Day since its establishment ten years ago. Japan’s leadership has been instrumental in advancing global disaster risk reduction.

Tsunamis are rare, but they are among the deadliest and most devastating hazards we face.

On this World Tsunami Awareness Day, let us commit to build on the progress we have made, and to invest the funds needed to enhance tsunami preparedness and resilience for all.

Thank you.

Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Upcoming events;

In Zagreb, 5 November 2025 - International Conference Tsunami Risk at Adriatic Sea
Online, 5 November 2025 - Tsunami emergency planning in Australia
In Bangkok5 November 2025 - Film Screening and High-Level Dialogue on Financing Tsunami Resilience
Online, 6 November 2025 - Training event on Early Warning for All: Tsunami warning communication and dissemination in the Americas and the Caribbean
5-7 November 2025 -World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025 in Timor-Leste

Past events:
In Cascais, On November 1st 2025 In person observance entitled ''From Memory to Resilience: 270th commemoration event of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami'' was held.

CAMPAIGN: The World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025 Campaign is dedicated to advancing tsunami resilience through alignment with the Tsunami Ready Programme, a global initiative aimed at strengthening community resilience through awareness and preparedness strategies. This campaign seeks to highlight the importance of proactive measures in mitigating tsunami risks, fostering collaboration among all stakeholders - governments, academia, local leaders, and the public to enhance tsunami preparedness.

Calls for action:

• We call on national and local governments, finance ministries, development banks, insurers, and private investors to commit multi-year financing for tsunami preparedness and multi-hazard early warning systems.
• We call on coastal municipalities, community groups, school systems, tourism operators, and media partners to elevate tsunami readiness, enrol in recognized community frameworks, and showcase real-world success stories.
• We call on disaster management authorities, educators, NGOs, and local media to co-develop and distribute tsunami risk-communication toolkits, and to institutionalize regular public education and community drills aligned with readiness indicators.
• We call on mayors, civil protection leads, school principals, health and port authorities, and faith/youth leaders to serve as visible champions for tsunami preparedness in their communities.
• We call on research institutions, technology providers, and public agencies to promote international awareness and knowledge-sharing of disaster-risk-reduction technologies adapting and piloting them in high-risk coastal areas.

Download
World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025: Be Tsunami Ready PDF, 0.3 MB English
Día Mundial de la Concienciación Sobre Tsunamis 2025: Actúe ante tsunamis PDF, 0.2 MB Spanish