At around 7:58 AM local time on 26 December 2004 an undersea earthquake, with a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale, occurred some 250 kilometers off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.

It triggered a devastating tidal wave or "tsunami" measuring around 10 meters high and traveling at 500 km/hour. It hit several countries in the Indian Ocean, including: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Yemen, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. The first quake was followed by aftershocks ranging from 6 to 7.3, themselves large enough to destroy thousands of lives and livelihoods. It is estimated that as many as 150,000 people may have lost their lives. The final death toll is likely to be higher.

Tsunami

A Tsunami, from the Japanese word for "harbour wave" is a giant wave caused by an underwater disturbance, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater landslides. Even though a Tsunami can be caused by volcanic activity and underwater landslides, most Tsunamis are triggered by earthquakes generated by movements along fault zones associated with the plate boundaries underwater. Energy from the earthquake creates giant waves that travel out the area of origin towards the ocean and towards the shore with destructive power."

Unfortunately most communities are not prepared for the hazards they face and often lack the reflexes to take effective action when disaster strikes. If we could reach out to communities before disasters and inform them of what to do "just in case", impacts could be reduced dramatically.

Although nothing can be done to prevent events such as the tragedy in Asia, it is certain that community awareness combined with warning systems could help to reduce their impacts. Tsunamis can be identified and monitores and, if the communities in potential risk areas are properly prepared, people can be warned and evacuated. proper planning can reduce loss of life and property.

For Tsunamis, as for other hazards, APELL means community preparedness achieved through community participation in emergency planning. In the APELL process, this is based on dialogue between local authorities, rescue services, community leaders and other stakeholders.

For further information about APELL and Tsunamis please read:

APELL and Tsunamis : acommunity based approach for disaster reduction. December 2004, 4 p., English This is a 4 page brochure explaining the APELL on Natural disasters (Tsunamis). Download the brochure in English (340 KB)

Where to find more information about Tsunamis:

UNEP Tsunami Response
UNESCO Tsunami in South Asia
UN News Centre
NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
WSSPC Western States Seismic Policy Council
USGS Tsunami and Earthquake
Tsunami: Linking Insurance and Science
Surviving a Tsunami, Lessons from Chile, Hawaii and Japan