Tsunamis are a terrifying phenomenon.
They have claimed lives, demolished homes, and destroyed communities across the world.
Tsunamis are a series of enormous waves, usually started by earthquakes below or near the ocean. They can be also caused by volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, and coastal rock falls, or even a large asteroid.
Did you know that the word ‘tsunami’ combines the Japanese words ‘tsu’ (harbour) and ‘nami’ (wave)?
They can’t be predicted, and often come with very little warning.
The first sign is that the ocean begins to retreat. Then the waves come crashing back – up to 30 metres high and travelling more than 800 kilometres per hour.
More than 70 percent of all tsunamis ever recorded have been in the Pacific Ocean around the earthquake-prone “Pacific Ring of Fire”.
The devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 2004 caused an estimated 227,000 deaths in 14 countries. Caused by an underwater earthquake that was equivalent in power to 23,000 atomic bombs, it was the deadliest tsunami in recent decades. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand were the hardest hit.
In the Asia-Pacific region, thousands of people have lost their lives to tsunamis. A lack of knowledge, awareness, and preparedness have contributed to the significant numbers of dead and injured.
UNDP Solomon Islands / Frederick Osifelo
Better safe than sorry
Partnering with the Government of Japan, since 2017, UNDP has been working with over 520 schools in 24 Asia-Pacific countries through the regional Tsunami Project. It has helped schools to assess their tsunami risks, design emergency procedures and evacuation plans, conduct tsunami evacuation drills, and carry out awareness campaigns.
In 2017 alone, more than 100 schools and 60,000 people participated in drills. As of 5 November 2024, in total more than 218,000 students, teachers, and local officials participated in drills. In some schools, drills were designed to include students with disabilities. Efforts were made to raise awareness not only among students but also teachers, school staff, and local communities. These efforts to strengthen community preparedness ensure that people can act swiftly when the next tsunami hits, saving lives.
The project developed a Regional Guide for Schools to Prepare for Tsunamis. It provides practical guidance to school administrations on how to prepare for and respond to tsunami risks.
The project also developed a mobile application, STEP-A, which enables schools to assess their tsunami preparedness. It was integrated with the InaRISK system (Indonesia’s national geospatial digital platform) to ensure that preparedness data is accessible to national and local authorities, aiding in broader disaster risk management efforts.
The project focused on the most vulnerable coastal communities of 24 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Maldives, Micronesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam.
Hand in hand
Local communities and governments have been enthusiastic and innovative partners. In Fiji, the drills tested the mobile GeoBing App, which gives real time information for early warning. In Samoa, virtual reality headsets were used to prepare children for drills, so they could find out what their surroundings would look like under water. In Bali, Indonesia, eight hotels signed up to be safe areas in tsunami emergencies, marking a shift from school preparedness to whole-of- society preparedness.
In Pakistan, the drills were combined with shoreline cleaning to highlight the importance of the environment in preparing for disasters. In Thailand, over 240 schools in tsunami-prone areas developed plans for tsunami evacuation and drills, in collaboration with the Office of the Basic Education Commission, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and the Thai Red Cross. In Myanmar older students were taught to take care of younger ones during evacuations.
“We only knew the word ‘tsunami’. After the drill today, we now know how to react and respond in the event of a disaster. We were given a training in what to do in case of an injury.”
— V. Manesha, Sri Lanka
Evacuation drills in different countries
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UNDP Samoa -
UNDP Maldives -
UNDP Solomon Islands -
UNDP Thailand / Pakin Media -
UNDP Philippines -
UNDP Philippines -
UNDP Indonesia -
UNDP Philippines -
UNDP Philippines -
UNDP Cambodia -
UNDP Pakistan / Mishal Jawaid -
UNDP Papua New Guinea / Kim Allen
“Japan has experienced and recovered from countless natural disasters. This is vital, and our responsibility, to share these experiences and skills around the world and save as many lives as possible,” says Ms.Satomi Okagaki, former Senior Deputy Director, Global Issues Cooperation Division, Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In Japan every school child knows what to do when a tsunami hits.
“We hope this project serves as a good starting point from which tsunami awareness and preparedness and tsunami evacuation drills will take root,” Ms Okagaki says.
In preparing for a natural hazard, the more people who participate, the better. After the tragic experience of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the strongest typhoon in the history of the Philippines, parents and caregivers were willing to participate in the drills, showing the importance of partnering not only with the local Department of Education, but also with the community, and defining clear roles and communication channels. Twenty schools and 20,000 people took part.
Ready to act
There’s a powerful element of inequality in natural hazards and disasters, such as tsunamis. They disproportionately affect poorer nations, and women and children. Up to 80 percent of the fatalities from the Indian Ocean Tsunami were women and children.
By 2030, the world will face some 560 disasters per year, pushing an additional estimated 37.6 million people into extreme poverty, according to current climate projections UNDRR. Investments in preparedness not only save lives, but also reduces the costs needed for recovery.
This regional Project is part of UNDP’s efforts to support the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction SFDRR, a global initiative to work with local governments to reduce deaths, injuries and economic damage from natural and human-made hazards, and prevent them from becoming disasters.
In 2024-2025, UNDP is broadening its efforts by helping countries to integrate tsunami preparedness into national policies and school curricula, in order to ensure that all schools and communities are empowered to reduce their risks and increase their safety in the event of a tsunami.
“We have learned well how to help prepare our students, and we know how to lead students to a safe evacuation place. We will include these learnings when we draw our school future planning programme.”
— Daw Aye Mon Kyi, an assistant teacher from Myanmar
Preparing Asia Pacific schools
(Data from November 2024)
218 000
students, teachers and school administrators participated in the drills
520
schools have provided tsunami education, developed evacuation plans, and conducted drills
24
countries have actively engaged
Conducting a drill requires knowledge of the surroundings and evacuation areas, and of how to stay safe. Decisions made in the few minutes before the tsunami wave reaches you can mean the difference between life and death.
The evidence is clear: preparedness saves lives. Thousands of school children who live in coastal areas across the Asia-Pacific region will learn through drills. When you teach children, they teach everyone else.
For more detailed information on the : Tsunami Project