BANGKOK Thailand, Nov 4 (IPS) – On a calm July morning in Severo-Kurilsk, a coastal town in the east of the Russian Federation, the sea began to recede unnaturally quickly. Within minutes, tsunami sirens sounded and 2,700 residents were evacuated to higher ground. Waves up to five meters flooded the harbor and the fish factory, but no lives were lost. The city’s survival reflected years of investment in early warning systems, community exercises and resilient infrastructure. The 2025 Kamchatka tsunami demonstrated what preparedness can deliver when science, governance and community action are aligned.
These efforts build on a broader regional commitment. The operation Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) and the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (PTWS) have enabled real-time seismic and sea level monitoring, coordinated exercises, the expansion of tsunami service providers and integration of tsunami preparedness into national disaster management frameworks in 46 ESCAP coastal countries.
As we highlight World Tsunami Awareness Day under the theme “Be prepared for the tsunami: invest in tsunami preparation”This achievement reminds us that resilience is possible, but only with sustained and consistent investment and collaboration.
A shared oceanic challenge
Tsunamis remain one of the most devastating natural hazards, capable of wiping out entire communities in minutes. In the Indian Oceanmore than 20 million people in 13 ESCAP Member States live in areas exposed to tsunamis. In the Pacific Ocean, where 70 percent of all recorded tsunamis have occurred, small island developing states face existential risks from even moderate events.
However, the risk of a tsunami is rarely isolated. It is exacerbated by coastal flooding, cyclones, landslides and volcanic eruptions, a risk now exacerbated by climate change. Rising sea levels shorten evacuation time and increase the reach of tsunami inundation. In the Pacific Ocean, a 50 cm rise in sea levels could increase tsunami flood areas by as much as 30 percent, while in the Indian Ocean, urban centers such as Jakarta, Chennai and Colombo face increasing threats from cyclones, floods and tsunamis.
This interconnected hazard landscape calls for integrated solutions. Tsunami preparedness needs to be embedded in broader multi-hazard frameworks, urban planning and climate adaptation strategies.
A regional effort and a new standard for measuring preparedness
In both oceans, countries conduct tsunami capacity assessments using a standardized, regionally approved methodology developed in collaboration with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and supported by the Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness.
Much more than technical exercises, they reflect two decades of progress since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, highlighting remaining vulnerabilities and galvanizing political commitment. The push for a unified approach stems from the need to celebrate successes, strengthen preparedness and enable countries to assess their capabilities across six key pillars: risk awareness, monitoring and forecasting, alert dissemination, preparedness and response, governance and financing.
Bridging the gap: investment priorities
Despite the progress, the assessments revealed persistent gaps that need to be addressed to ensure every community is prepared for a tsunami:
- Support national operations: Expand monitoring infrastructure in underserved coastal areas and ensure 24/7 operational preparedness in all National Tsunami Warning Centers, through public financing and investments in human resources.
- Strengthening risk knowledge and community awareness: Only 18 percent of Indian Ocean countries and 31 percent of Pacific countries that have completed the assessment are conducting community-level hazard assessments. Public access to hazard maps, evacuation plans, and culturally relevant educational materials should be improved.
- Improve alert distribution and communication: Although significant progress has been made in internet connectivity, multi-channel communications networks and infrastructure upgrades, only 32 percent of Indian Ocean Basin countries have robust infrastructure for alert dissemination, such as satellite telephones and communications infrastructure of VSAT systems to reach remote communities. The Pacific faces similar challenges in reaching remote island communities where local communications infrastructure is limited.
- Enable community-led preparedness initiatives: Invest in inclusive, locally driven tsunami preparedness efforts. Support communities in developing evacuation plans, conducting exercises and integrating traditional knowledge with scientific risk assessments. The UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Programme provides a valuable framework to raise awareness, strengthen local leadership, and promote ownership of preparedness actions to ensure early warnings translate into life-saving actions.
- Mobilize multi-hazard financing: Global, regional and national cooperation has proven essential in sharing resources, data and knowledge for effective tsunami and multi-hazard preparedness. Yet only 32 percent of countries have implementable plans based on tsunami risk assessments. Investment gaps need to be filled to accelerate progress in community preparedness, through private sector involvement and integration of efforts with a multi-risk approach.
The ocean connects us, but also challenges us. Tsunamis cross boundaries, and so does our preparedness. The 2025 Kamchatka tsunami showed that lives are saved when communities are empowered, systems are in place and warnings are heeded. Resilience is more than a goal, it is a choice we have to make together.
Temily Baker is Program Management Officer, Disaster Risk Reduction Department, ESCAP; Michel Catrib is an intern, Disaster Risk Reduction Department, ESCAP
SDGs: 11, 14, 17
IPS UN Office
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