Indian Ocean Tsunami Commemoration: A Call to Protect Future Generations
On Boxing Day – 26 December 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, causing a massive tsunami to sweep across the Indian Ocean.
Waves as high as 51 meters (167 feet) flooded communities in AcehIndonesia, with flooding extending up to five kilometers (three miles) inland.
the devastation spread across Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and India, with the tsunami moving at 800 kilometers per hour (500 miles per hour). The impact spread as far as Somalia and Tanzania, and waves reached as far as Mexico, Chile and even the Arctic.
In addition to the deaths, more than 1.7 million people were displaced and economic losses were estimated at $10 billion. Children suffered particularly severely, with thousands of children killed or orphaned.
A warning to humanity
Philemon Yang, President of the United Nations General Assemblydescribed the tsunami as “the first global disaster of the 21st century and one of the most devastating in recent history.”
He called on countries to reaffirm their determination to protect future generations and integrate disaster prevention and recovery into sustainable development strategies.
Kamal Kishore, United Nations Special Representative for Natural Disaster Risk Reductioncalled the tsunami “a wake-up call for humanity”.
“It really shows us what such low-frequency, high-impact hazards can do. The impacts will ripple across the entire global system and across many geographieshe said.
Progress through global cooperation
The tragedy also prompted unprecedented global cooperation.
“After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, It is clear that cross-border problems require cross-border solutions,” emphasized Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAPE).
In the two decades since the tragedy, the international community working together has made significant progress in disaster preparedness.
In 2005, countries convened under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) to set up Tsunami warning and mitigation system in the Indian Ocean (IOTWMS). Today, 27 national tsunami warning centers can issue warnings within minutes of seismic waves.
According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), compared with just 25% in 2004, more than 75% of coastal communities in high-risk areas now have access to tsunami early warning information.
Furthermore, United Nations initiatives such as Tsunami Readiness Program and Tsunami project continue to empower local leaders and communities with life-saving knowledge and resources. Similarly, the Multi-donor Trust Fund responds to tsunamis, natural disasters and climate are developing vital early warning systems for everyone.
Climate change amplifies risks
However, the challenges are also becoming more complex.
Climate change is amplifying the frequency and severity of water-related disasters, often followed by and associated with geophysical events such as earthquakes and volcanoes.
ESCAP estimates that 68 million people in 43 Asian and Pacific countries, along with $2.3 trillion in coastal infrastructure, remain at significant risk. In the Indian Ocean basin alone, more than 2,600 educational institutions, 1,200 ports and 140 power plants are vulnerable.
We must do more
Mr. Kishore emphasized the need for long-term preparation and awareness.
“We must continue to raise awareness of the tsunami risk,” he said.
“It is important that we do not forget the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and continue to do everything we can to protect ourselves, our children and future generations from the impact of future tsunamis. future.”
