 | | | | | PRESS RELEASE | | | | In Banda Aceh, UNESCO calls for increased investment in tsunami preparedness | | | | Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 15 November 2024 – UNESCO gathered the world's leading tsunami experts and policymakers in Indonesia to mark twenty years since the deadly 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. While major progress has been made, the Organization called for increased efforts to achieve 100% of Tsunami Ready coastal communities worldwide by 2030. A dedicated roadmap was presented. During the four-day UNESCO international conference, experts acknowledged that the world is "significantly better prepared today", thanks to actions implemented under the coordination of UNESCO and its partners in tsunami science, warning systems, and community preparedness. "Together, we have succeeded in making the world safer and better prepared for tsunamis. We have set up early warning systems and more than thirty countries have already benefited from UNESCO's Tsunami Ready programme to train their populations. But there is still much work to be done. We call on all our Member States to continue their investments to ensure that coastal communities can respond swiftly and effectively when the threat arises," said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. The UNESCO Conference concluded with the adoption of the Banda Aceh Statement, a commitment by global experts and policymakers to improve the global tsunami warning and mitigation system for the next decade. This Statement calls on States and civil society to drastically step up their investments and efforts in order to achieve 100% of Tsunami Ready communities across the world by 2030. Participants emphasized that reaching this universal status is a crucial goal, as over 700 million people live in coastal regions vulnerable to tsunami events. As a testament to this collective commitment, the Conference saw a number of new local communities across the region officially recognized as Tsunami Ready, including 26 in India and 12 in Indonesia. A day was also devoted to real-time drills in two Tsunami Ready coastal villages near Banda Aceh, to test the effectiveness of the training. The Conference also highlighted the critical role of UNESCO's Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) and the Organization's continued support for countries at high risk. Over the past two decades, UNESCO has worked to expand this system to all regions of the world, developing a vast network of state-of the-art monitoring infrastructure. Today, tens of thousands of seismometers, about 1,200 active sea level stations, submarine cable observatories and deep-ocean tsunami buoys help to detect and measure large tsunamis with sufficient lead time to alert distant coastlines. | | | | Learn more | | About UNESCO | | | | With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay. | | | | "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed" – UNESCO Constitution, 1945. | | | | More information: www.unesco.org | | | | Press contact | | François Wibaux, f.wibaux@unesco.org, +33 1 45 68 07 46 | | | | UNESCO Newsroom | | All our press releases | | | | Social media | 
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