United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the world to strengthen early warning systems and preparedness to protect coastal communities from deadly tsunamis.
In his message marking World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025, Guterres said that while tsunamis are rare, their impact can be catastrophic if nations are not ready.
“Tsunamis are rare events whose consequences can be extremely deadly,” Guterres said.
“They can claim thousands – even hundreds of thousands – of lives. But there are ways to keep people safe.”
He recalled the lessons from the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which prompted global investments in early warning systems — a move that continues to save lives.
“After the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the world chose to invest in early warning systems. Decades later, that decision is paying off,” he said.
Guterres pointed to the recent earthquake off Russia’s coast in July, which triggered alerts to millions across Japan, the Pacific Islands, and the U.S west coast.
“The massive earthquake off the Russian coast in late July triggered alerts to millions – from the shores of Japan, to the Pacific Islands, to California,” he said.
However, Guterres warned that evolving disaster risks, rising sea levels, and growing coastal populations demand stronger investment in early warning systems.
“With sea levels rising, and more and more people living by the coast, early warning systems need investment and improvement,” he said.
He highlighted the ‘Early Warnings for All’ initiative — a UN-led effort to ensure that every person on the planet is protected by a multi-hazard early warning system by 2027.
“That is the purpose of ‘Early Warnings for All’, a UN initiative to establish multi-hazard early warning systems that protect every person on earth by 2027,” Guterres said.
The UN chief urged countries to respect the ocean’s power and prepare for the next disaster before it strikes.
“Respecting the ocean means recognising its power,” he said.
“On this 10th World Tsunami Awareness Day, let us invest in preparedness – for every coastline, and every community, everywhere,” he said.
