On Boxing Day, December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, triggering a massive tsunami wave across the Indian Ocean.
In Indonesia’s Aceh province, waves up to 51 meters (167 feet) high hit coastal areas and floodwaters extended five kilometers (three miles) inland.
These tsunami waves, which reached speeds of 800 kilometers per hour (500 miles per hour), caused devastation in Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and India. Its effects have been seen as far away as Somalia and Tanzania, and ripples have reached Mexico, Chile and even the Arctic.
Not only have people lost their lives, more than 1.7 million people have been displaced and economic losses of nearly $10 billion have been caused. Children were particularly severely affected and thousands were either killed or orphaned.
A wake up call for humanity
UN General Assembly President Philemon Young called the tsunami “the first tsunami of the 21st century”. and has been called the most devastating global disaster in recent history.
He called on countries to fulfill their commitments to develop sustainable development strategies to ensure security for future generations and develop disaster preparedness and resilience.
Kamal Kishore, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), considered the tsunami a “wake-up call for humanity”.
“This shows us that such low-frequency impacts, but high-impact threats can span entire global systems and geographic regions,” he said.
Progress requires global cooperation
The tragedy has sparked an unprecedented global outpouring of support.
“After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, it became clear that transboundary solutions were needed,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Development Commission (ESCAP), which can cross borders. “
In the two decades since the tragedy, the international community has worked together, making significant progress in disaster preparedness.
In 2005, at a meeting held under UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (OC-UNESCO), countries jointly established the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS), currently consisting of 27 national tsunami warning centres, which are earthquake warnings. Triggered events can be issued within minutes.
According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in 2004 only 25 percent of coastal communities in high-risk areas had access to basic tsunami information, but now up to 75 percent of coastal communities have this access. reached
In addition, UN initiatives such as the Tsunami Preparedness Program and the Tsunami Project are providing life-saving knowledge and resources to local leaders and communities. In addition, the Multi-Contributor Trust Fund is developing an important early warning system for tsunami, disaster and climate preparedness for all.
The risk of climate change is increasing
But, the challenges are becoming increasingly complex.
Climate change has increased the frequency and severity of water-related disasters, which often become more severe when associated with geophysical events such as earthquakes or volcanoes.
ESCAP estimates that 68 million people in 43 Asian and Pacific countries, as well as $2.3 trillion worth of infrastructure located in coastal areas, are at serious risk. In the Indian Ocean region alone, more than 2,600 educational facilities, 1,200 ports and 140 power plants are at risk.
Further steps are required
Kamal Kishore emphasized the need to continuously spread awareness and be prompt with preparations.
“We need to raise awareness at a higher level about the risk of tsunami,” he said.
“It is important that the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami is not forgotten. At the same time, we must continue to do all we can to protect ourselves, our children and future generations from the effects of future tsunamis.”