By : Neha Dhyani
Updated : Nov 9, 2023, 12:38
Every year on 5th November, World Tsunami Awareness Day is celebrated to raise awareness about tsunamis in developing countries. Tsunamis are one of the worst natural disasters that have claimed many lives in the last few years. To spread awareness about this disaster and help equip developing countries to deal with them better, the United Nations proclaimed 5th November as World Tsunami Awareness Day in 2015.
Tsunamis can wreck a region economically - causing death, destruction of property, and agricultural loss. Therefore, developing countries with coastal areas must prepare to deal with tsunamis beforehand. Find more about Tsunami Awareness day, its history, theme, and significance here.
World Tsunami Awareness Day is an annual observance made to spread awareness regarding tsunamis and how to prevent the havoc they create. This day is also observed to get international cooperation for developing countries that are prone to tsunamis. The idea of Tsunami Day is to get the international community working together and to support each other in times of crisis.
Tsunami Awareness Day was first celebrated in 2016, after the United Nations officiated the day in 2015. Here is some more information regarding this day:
Event Name | World Tsunami Awareness Day |
Established By | United Nations |
Observed On | 5th November (each year) |
World Tsunami Awareness Day Theme 2022 | “Early Warning and Early Action Before Every Tsunami” |
Aim of the Day | To spread awareness about tsunamis and get international cooperation from developing countries. |
Each year on Tsunami Awareness Day, the United Nations sets a theme for the observance. The theme is centered around dealing with tsunamis better and is set to send a message to all. This year, the World Tsunami Awareness Day 2022 theme is “Early Warning and Early Action Before Every Tsunami.”
Luckily, with the help of technology, we are able to detect when a tsunami may take place. By taking early warning and early action, people can minimize the harm that a tsunami causes. This year’s Tsunami Awareness Day theme aims to send the message of taking the early tsunami signs seriously and preparing accordingly.
A tsunami refers to the gigantic waves caused by underwater disturbance, usually resulting from an earthquake below the sea or ocean. Tsunamis are a type of natural disaster and can cause great damage to human life and property. The word “tsunami’ is a Japanese word where “tsu” means harbor and “nami” means wave. To raise awareness about this natural disaster, 5th November is celebrated as World Tsunami Awareness Day.
Typically, tsunamis occur due to an earthquake that can be a result of tectonic plate movement, volcanic eruptions, asteroid or meteoroid collisions, landslides, etc. Avoiding destruction becomes inevitable after a tsunami especially if you have not prepared for it beforehand. Therefore, Tsunami Awareness Day is a great occasion to spread awareness about it.
On 22nd December 2015, the United Nations adopted the UN Resolution 70/203 and announced 5th November to annually be observed as Tsunami Awareness Day. This date commemorates an incident that happened in Japan on 5th November 1854, known as “Inamura-no-hi,” or the burning of rice sheaves. This practice resulted in sending a signal of warning against an upcoming tsunami in Japan at the time. Due to early action, people were saved on time during this incident.
World Tsunami Awareness Day is also a part of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. This framework provides an action-oriented approach to reducing the risk of disasters like a tsunami.
In the last century, 58 tsunamis have caused mass destruction, taking the lives of more than 260,000 people. This natural disaster has claimed more lives than any other natural disaster in history. Therefore, observing World Tsunami Awareness Day is important because it provides a global stage to brainstorm ideas for minimizing the impact of tsunamis and offer support to regions that need it. Here is why celebrating Tsunami Day is significant:
We should all participate in the celebration of World Tsunami Awareness Day. When people are aware, they can function better in times of crisis and can save their and their near ones’ lives. Here are some tips on celebrating Tsunami Awareness Day:
World Tsunami Awareness Day is celebrated on 5th November every year. This day was officiated by the United States on 22nd December 2015, after the UN adopted Resolution 70/203. Since then, Tsunami Day has been celebrated globally every year.
The significance of World Tsunami Awareness Day is that it offers people, leaders, governments, and policymakers around the world to come together and spread awareness about minimizing the impact of a tsunami by taking relevant actions.
The theme of World Tsunami Awareness Day 2022 is “Early Warning and Early Action Before Every Tsunami.” This theme simply aims at motivating people to adopt an early action-based approach to prepare at the time of natural disasters like tsunamis.
The United Nations established World Tsunami Awareness Day. On 22nd December 2015, the United Nations adopted a resolution and declared 5th November to be celebrated as Tsunami Awareness Day each year.
On the occasion of World Tsunami Awareness Day, here are some tips to share to create awareness about tsunamis:
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