“I can tell you that you cannot stop a tsunami wave when it happens. There is no wall that can protect you. Having early warning systems and educating people about the devastating power of tsunamis are the only ways to reduce risk. I was pleased to see when I went back to Thailand two years later that the country is now equipped with a working early warning system that will save more people if it happens again,” he said.

Mr. Glasser also highlighted the power of education and the importance of developing and strengthening people-centred early warning systems, emphasizing the special needs of children, women and the elderly who are among the most vulnerable groups to disasters.

“Tsunamis know no border and a perfect early warning system is of no use if people do not know how to act on it,” concluded Dr. Ana Peršić, Science Specialist at UNESCO. “We are currently carrying out drills in Algeria and along the Mediterranean Sea so more communities, which are less at risk, can also be safe in the future. Not all tsunamis happen in Asia and no single country can tackle this challenge alone but we can all work together to be better prepared,” she said.

Date:

3 Nov 2017

Sources:

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

Themes:

Early Warning, Education & School Safety, Environment & Ecosystems, Risk Identification & Assessment

Hazards:

Tsunami

Regions:

Africa, Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania