On 5th November, annually, World Tsunami Awareness Day is celebrated globally. This day is celebrated by several other international organizations as well as the United Nations.
Highlights
The United Nations declared World Tsunami Day on 5th November in the year 2015. This day is a Japanese idea. On this day, international organizations and countries are called upon to raise various natural disaster awareness and their various risk mitigation. Although the tsunami is thought to occur rarely, about 58 tsunamis have occurred in the last 1000 years.
In the year 2021, WTAD is promoting the goals of the Sendai Seven Campaign. The main goal is to strengthen international cooperation between the developing countries across the globe through sustainable development and support.
About Tsunamis
The word tsunami in Japanese means “harbour wave”. This is a series of huge waves generated by earthquakes, submarine landslides, and eruptions of submarine volcanoes. The tsunami spreads at a speed of 800 kilometers per hour. The maximum height is 300 meters. About 80% of tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean. The speed of the tsunami is faster in the deep sea and slower in the shallows. The worst tsunami occurred in the month of December 2004, killing more than 2,27,000. Most tsunamis are less than 3 meters high. In extreme cases, it can exceed 100 feet. A large tsunami can cause floods inland for more than a mile. The first wave may be the least damaging or the least damaging, and the danger can last for hours or days. The tsunami is a serious threat to life and property. Even small tsunamis can be dangerous, especially for harbour swimmers, surfers and boats. The tsunami can hit any coast. Lowlands such as beaches, bays, lagoons, harbours and estuaries, and areas along rivers and streams leading to the sea are most at risk. Tsunamis can occur at any time, seasonally or in the weather. They can be generated far (over the ocean) or locally. Local tsunamis can occur just minutes after the turmoil.
Need for this Day
It is being estimated that by the year 2030, about 50% of the global population will live in the coastal areas. This population will be vulnerable to all kinds of natural disasters such as tsunamis, floods and storms. Therefore, it is important to expand international cooperation and prepare for and withstand a tsunami.
