For the first time in history, the world is about to commemorate our brothers and sisters who have been victims of deadly tsunamis through the World Tsunami Awareness Day. The said event was set to happen for the first time this November 5. As tsunamis are known to be one of the natural disasters that know no boundaries, the UN has set the date which aims to foster international cooperation and increase public awareness and prevention efforts.
November 5 has been officially marked at the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016 that was held from 3rd to 5th November, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi by the Government of India together with United Nations Office of Disaster Risk Reduction.
As reported by the International Business Times, it was recently revealed that tsunamis are in fact rare natural disasters that take a lot of lives. In the recent century alone, it has been found that more than 260,000 people have been killed in 58 separate tsunamis recorded. In 2004 and 2011, the world witnessed how powerful and deadly this natural calamity can be and experts have emphasized that people are still not given enough education of what to do before, during and after these humongous waves strike.
Furthermore, in one of their press release statements reported by News Hub, Acting Director of Civil Defence and Emergency Management David Coetzee has revealed that New Zealand's coast faces a great risk of being affected by these tsunamis. Additionally, Coetzee claims that it is just but crucial not to wait for official warnings anymore. Rather, the need to be educated with regards to the naturally occurring signs and the immediate response is what matters most.
November 5 plays a significant role for this event when we trace this back to what has happened in 1854 when a villager in Japan was allegedly able to feel an upcoming tsunami after a high-intensity earthquake on 1854. Reports have it that certain awareness raising activities will be organized during the Conference through thematic events such as exhibitions, and distribution of awareness materials.
