World Tsunami Awareness Day 2021: All you need to know about UN designated day

World Tsunami Awareness Day is observed every year across the globe on 5 November. It is a day to spread awareness about the deadly natural disaster that claimed more than 2,60,000 lives in the past 100 years.

In December 2015, the United Nations (UN) selected 5 November as the World Tsunami Awareness Day to call on international bodies, civil society, and countries to raise awareness about the natural disaster. The UN also wanted countries and other related bodies to share innovative approaches to risk reduction in the future.

For the unversed, this day is a brainchild of Japan. Over the years, Japan has developed major expertise on Tsunami early warning as well as public action due to the country’s sad and repeated experience with the disaster.

What is Tsunami?

The word “tsunami” comes from the Japanese words "tsu" meaning (harbour) and "nami" meaning (wave). It is a series of gigantic waves that are created by an underwater disturbance, generally associated with earthquakes. These underwater disturbances occur near or below the ocean.

The things that can generate a Tsunami are; submarine landslides, volcanic eruptions, coastal rock falls as well as a large asteroid impacting the ocean. Surprisingly, these huge tsunami waves look like walls of water that can be dangerous for hours. Also, the waves come every 5 to 60 minutes.

Message:

The UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres alerted the people across the world that the rising sea levels caused by climate emergencies can further worsen the power of Tsunamis.

“We must limit warming to 1.5 degrees over pre-industrial averages and invest at scale in the resilience of coastal communities. Science and international cooperation — as well as preparedness and early action — must be at the heart of our efforts to save lives from tsunamis and other hazards,” he said.

Most deadliest Tsunami ever:

As per a report by the UN’s official website, the worst Tsunami ever occurred was in December 2004 that took place in the Indian Ocean. It surpassed any other natural hazard that has occurred in the past 100 years.

During that Tsunami, nearly millions of deaths took place and 14 countries were badly affected by it. Among the many hit countries, the worst affected was Thailand. However, an estimate suggests that nearly 2,27,000 died alone in India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.

Keywords: Tsunami, 2004 Tsunami, UN General Assembly, World Tsunami Awareness Day, World Tsunami Awareness Day 2021