Tsunamis are, thankfully, rare events, but they do happen. They are often more sudden and deadly than any other hazard, claiming thousands of lives and causing massive economic losses in just a few minutes, with long-lasting negative effects on people’s lives and livelihoods. Countries in Asia, the Caribbean, and South America have learned valuable lessons from first-hand experience of a tsunami and have worked tirelessly to create a culture of tsunami awareness among the general public, educating coastal communities at risk and ensuring that people recognize the warning signs so that they take prompt action to evacuate to a safe place.
On 5 November 2020, UNDRR will invite country representatives at the Ambassadorial level, based in Geneva to a 60-minute High-Level Panel to share with a virtual audience how they are implementing disaster risk reduction plans and are preparing to face the next tsunami. Participants will reflect on two main components: (1) the importance of reducing tsunami risk through further developing accurate and timely tsunami warning systems, and (2) strengthening disaster risk governance to reduce existing disaster risks and avoid creating new risks.
The 60-minute event will be chaired by Ambassador Emilio Izquierdo, Chair of the UNDRR Support Group, alongside a panel of UN and country representatives.