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

World Tsunami Awareness 2024; November 5th.

FORUM: “Empowering the next generation with the lessons of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.“ World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024. The theme of this year’s WTAD is aligned with the theme of the IDDRR and the Summit of the Future, in September 2024, where ‘youth and future generations’ are a priority. It has been nearly 20 years since the onset of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, which tragically impacted countless lives and communities in South and South-East Asia in late December of 2004. The figures remain sobering and instructive: wave heights across the region exceeded 30 meters, inflicting widespread coastal destruction in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand – as well as 12 additional countries. Total casualties exceeded 230,000 persons, many who were tragically in the direct path of the surging ocean waters. On this year’s World Tsunami Awareness Day; Asia’s coastal and island communities can look back and take pride in having rebuilt their ways of life and regional economies, but much still needs to be done to achieve early warning services and greater preparedness. This year commemorations aim to honor the memory of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on its 20th anniversary, to highlight its lessons for children and youth around the world and to celebrate the success of progress made in advancing early warning system coverage. Empowering them with this knowledge, which is captured in the #GetToHighGround campaign, can be the difference between life and death when tsunamis emerge.Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #GetToHighGround, #Ocean&ClimateChange, #TsunamiSafety, #TsunamiAlert, #WaterLevels, #TsunamiCoastalObservations, #WorldTsunamiAwarenessDay, #5november, #TsumaniDay, #DisasterResponse, #DisasterResilience.

EVENTS: On November 5th; The UNESCO and UNDRR regional offices will organize a webinar to observe the World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024. WTAD 2024 activities will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami by passing its lessons to a new generation of children and youth. On this day, We are calling on all countries at risk from tsunami to take action today: to develop new/revised strategies on tsunami risk, update evacuation routes, to install new tsunami warning sensors and warning systems. We are calling on all actors in all coastal communities to raise the awareness of their children and youth of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and to conduct, if possible, evacuation drills to higher ground any time during the year. We are calling in youth, children and learning institutes to play and learn to Stop Disasters, The Stop Disasters online game teaches children how disasters strike, including tsunamis, and how early warning systems, evacuation plans and education save lives. Get the concept note and Register to participate!

Among other observances, we got the CARIBE WAVE 2024; This annual Tsunami Regional Exercise will take place on March 21, starting at 1500 UTC. The 2024 Alaska’s Tsunami Preparedness Week from March, from 26 to 31, have urged all Alaskans to be aware of, and prepared for, a tsunami hazard in their local regions. the California’s Tsunami Preparedness Week from March 23 to 31, 2024; All Californians are encouraged to plan and register their TsunamiPrep activities (at work, school, and home) to be counted as part of.the activities and the Hawaii’s Tsunami Awareness Month from April 7 to 13; The Pacifex 2024 will be held on May 23rd and the LANTEX 2024 on November 7th.

Ongoing activities: Visit the Virtual Fair hosted by the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group to learn about earthquake and tsunami hazards of California’s North Coast.

STATEMENTS: Read the Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024; November 5th.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami – one of the deadliest disasters in recent history. More than 230,000 people lost their lives.

On this World Tsunami Awareness Day, we honour the victims and recommit to protecting the 700 million people around the world who are at risk from tsunamis.

The best way to do so is by all partners delivering on the United Nations Early Warnings for All initiative that helps ensure every person on Earth is alerted when tsunamis and other disasters are on the way.

Education is vital to saving lives, and as this year’s theme reminds us, the participation of children and young people is critical. I urge governments and partners in coastal communities to raise awareness, so children and young people know how and where to evacuate to higher ground.

Together, let’s ensure people’s futures are not swept away by tsunamis. Let’s build resilience – now.

Mr António Guterres; Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Message from the head of the UNDRR on “World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024; November 5th.

Twenty years ago, the Indian Ocean tsunami which emanated as a result of an earthquake that occurred off the coast of Indonesia had devastating consequences.

We lost so many lives, across so many countries.

The worst impacts were of course in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives and India.

But countries as far as Tanzania, from where I am recording this video, were also very badly impacted. It really showed us how sometimes, hazardous events, particularly some low frequency, high impact kind of hazards can have impacts that will ripple across the entire global system and across multiple geographies.

In so many ways, that Indian Ocean Tsunami was a wake up call for humanity to do more, to have a much better understanding of disaster risks.

People who were impacted in that disaster were not just from the five countries that I listed, the worst affected countries, but from across the world.

People who've been warned have taken the right kinds of steps to protect themselves. So this is a huge progress we've made in the last 20 years, and it's an example of unprecedented global collaboration for an important area of common good.

We have to do more. We have to continue to keep the awareness of tsunami risk high because tsunamis do not occur frequently, but when they occur, their effects can be devastating.

So it's really important that we do not forget the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and continue to do everything we can do to protect ourselves, our children, our future generations, from the impact of future tsunamis.

Head of UNDRR.