The 26 December 2004 remains a profound moment in global history -- The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami was an unprecedented disaster that tragically affected millions of people across 15 countries and reshaped our collective approach to disaster preparedness and international solidarity. This 20th-anniversary, we commemorate the memory of those we lost, honor the resilience of those who survived and recognize the immense suffering that disasters cause. It is also a moment to reflect on the progress made in strengthening disaster resilience and the significant advancements in tsunami early warning systems, achieved through enhanced cooperation and preparedness.
The Indian Ocean Tsunami was a global wake-up call, which fundamentally changed how the global community deal with disasters. This event had a profound impact on policies, budgets, operational and technical work. Notably, the Tsunami experience played a crucial role in the development of the Hyogo Framework for Action, which was introduced in Kobe, Japan, shortly after the disaster. The HFA was a global initiative aimed at reducing disaster losses from 2005 to 2015 and was the predecessor to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
While the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 was a devastating event, its legacy extends far beyond the immediate regions it affected. The profound lessons learned from this disaster have been instrumental in shaping disaster preparedness strategies worldwide, including in the Caribbean.
As one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, the Caribbean region inhabits all known sources capable of causing tsunamis, that is, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides. According to historical records, the Caribbean region can expect to experience approximately 4 destructive tsunamis per century.
Even though there had been efforts since the mid-1990s to establish a tsunami warning system for the Caribbean, it was not until after the tragic 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami occurred that the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean Sea and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE EWS) was established in 2005. The ICG/CARIBE EWS is a regional tsunami early warning and mitigation system. Since its establishment it has focused towards improved monitoring and detection systems and warning guidance, hazard assessment, better communications, and increased preparedness, readiness, and resilience. The Caribbean system has a multi-hazard approach and focuses on all coastal hazards. Additionally, the Caribbean Tsunami Information Centre (CTIC) was established in 2013 to develop and provide info on tsunami warning systems, risks and good practices.
Although the monitoring and detection systems for the effects of tsunamis have been improved, more can be done. In truth, most of the improvements are related to tsunami products based on earthquake information and other tsunami sources such as volcanic events and landslides are lagging behind. This is a crucial issue in the Caribbean, for instance, the underwater volcano Kick-'em-Jenny located in the vicinity of Grenada has generated small tsunamis that were witnessed on the north coast of Grenada in 1939 and 1965.
Progress is on the way, with a task team created to develop tsunami procedures in the case of a volcanic crisis. However, much more work is required to get a fully operational warning system that accounts for volcanic scenarios and subsequent tsunami waves.
The regional commitment in the Caribbean is also reflected in the UNESCO Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme, that was first launched as a pilot programme in the Caribbean in 2015. The Tsunami Ready initiative works with communities across the globe to implement preparedness actions, from hazard assessment and inundation mapping to education and exercises. Currently, there are now more than 23 Tsunami Ready communities within the Caribbean and adjacent regions.
However, tsunamis are not frequent in the Caribbean - the last major one hit over 75 years ago and within other sub-regions such as the southern Caribbean there are no historical records of destructive tsunami impacts. This makes it difficult to be aware and prepare for them, as tsunamis are much more likely to be forgotten than other hazards such as the annual threat of hurricanes in the region. To ensure communities are "Tsunami Ready" the CARIBE WAVE Tsunami Exercise has been organized by UNESCO almost annually since 2011 and is the world's biggest tsunami evacuation drill. Over 3.5 million people have taken part in these activities, which test whether communities know what to do when tsunamis strike. The thirteenth annual CARIBE WAVE 24 exercise was conducted on 21 March 2024, and reached more than 700,000 registered participants, including persons with disabilities. This is crucial to build a culture of preparedness among communities.
The 2020-2021 volcanic eruption of La Soufriere in St. Vincent and the Grenadines has also served as a reminder and reinforced the need for Caribbean countries to prepare for a variety of dangerous, though less common, hazards beyond hurricanes. This event has brought attention to the region's multi-hazard needs, and donors are acknowledging the impact of diverse threats.
In fact, a tsunami is not a phenomenon caused by its own but rather a cascading effect from another hazard such as an earthquake, volcanic activity or landslide. The devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010 is a case in point, where the sub-sea landslides from the earthquake also generated tsunami waves that claimed several lives. Thus, it is important to emphasize the interconnectedness of hazards, especially in a region that faces a multitude of them. The Caribbean region has showcased their commitment to multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) by having the first Regional Launch of the Early Warnings for All Initiative (EW4ALL) for the Caribbean that aims to drive coordinated political action towards strengthening multi-hazard early warning systems for hazards such as hurricanes, tropical storms, tsunamis, volcanoes, floods, landslides, and epidemics, among others.
Effectively addressing tsunamis requires multi-hazard and integrated disaster risk governance, planning, and the implementation of national plans. Although addressing these gaps would be expensive, it would enable countries to develop comprehensive risk models, enhancing their resilience. The primary challenge will be determining the top priorities in a resource-constrained environment.
The 2004 hurricane season in the Caribbean had a similar global economic impact as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami in terms of economic damage, while the loss of life and impact on the livelihoods of large number of persons and communities was vastly different between the two regions. With the reoccurring event of hurricanes in the region, there is a reduction in the terms of the funding available to support tsunami-related initiatives. With the impact of climate change making climate-related hazards more intense and frequent, the call for financing becomes even more pressing to invest in multi-hazard and integrated disaster risk initiatives.