World Tsunami Awareness Day was decided in December 2015 by the UN General Assembly designating November 5^th as the Day to call on countries, international bodies and civil society to raise tsunami awareness and its catastrophic consequences and with the intent to share innovative approaches to risk reduction.

This partcular Day was the brainchild of Japan because of its repeated, bitter experiences which have forced this Country over the years to built up major expertise in areas such as tsunami early warning, public action and building back better after a disaster this in order to reduce future impacts of these disaster events. Noteworthy UN Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) facilitates the observance of World Tsunami Awareness Day in collaboration with the rest of the United Nations system to create more awareness.

A tsunami is a series of huge waves created by underwater disturbances usually associated with earthquakes that occur under or near the oceans (vertical movement of the seabed causes displacement of the overlying water masses). Volcanic eruptions and landslides can also be the cause of tsunamis. The first wave is usually not the biggest, but subsequent waves are the most dangerous, not only because of their larger size but also because they always carry floating debris that has been destroyed by previous waves.

Rapid urbanisation and increasing tourism in regions at risk of floods, storms and tsunamis are putting more and more people at risk: some forecasts indicate that by 2030 about 50% of the world’s population will live in coastal areas exposed to such hazards. This is why it is necessary to rise awarenss and be prepared.