Resilient coastal communities, post-tsunami

On the 20th anniversary of the tragic Indian Ocean tsunami, we honor those we’ve lost and reflect on the progress made in creating resilient coastal communities.

The sheer scale of the 2004 disaster shocked the world—more than 230,000 lives lost, 1.7 million people displaced, entire coastal communities wiped off, with the economic cost across 14 countries at $13 billion.

Yet, that fateful day also galvanized unprecedented global solidarity, cooperation, and innovation in disaster preparedness. Scattered across coastlines today are visible investments in warning devices, evacuation route signage, and vertical shelters. With regular tsunami drills and sirens, children have become practiced in leading their families to safety. Homes have ready-to-grab bags packed with important documents, medication, torches, and batteries.

From tragedy to transformation. In the aftermath of the tsunami, governments and international partners united to establish the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System. With Australia, Indonesia, and India as regional tsunami service providers, 27 national tsunami warning centers can now receive tsunami threat alerts within 10-15 minutes of a seismic event.

More than 75 percent of coastal communities in high-risk areas have access to tsunami early warning information compared to less than 25 percent in 2004, while community preparedness programs like the Unesco-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s Tsunami Ready Program and UNDP Tsunami Project are empowering local leaders, schools. and residents with life-saving knowledge.

Moreover, advances in multi-hazard early warning systems have enabled better integration of tsunami preparedness with flood, cyclone, and other coastal hazards preparedness.

Still, the challenges have grown more complex. Climate change is amplifying the frequency and severity of water-related disasters, with impacts that often cascade with, and compound, geophysical disasters such as earthquakes and volcanoes.

Rising tide of risk. This story of resilience is far from complete. The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) estimates that around 68 million people in 43 Asian and Pacific countries, and $2.3 trillion in building stock around our ocean basins are at significant risk. In the Indian Ocean basin alone, 1,213 education facilities, 1,450 health facilities, 140 power plants, and 1,217 seaports of Asian countries are exposed along the coast.

Taking a multi-hazard approach, our lessons for the future of coastal resilience should reflect a concerted effort to prioritize sustained financing. The Asia-Pacific region still lacks adequate financial mechanisms to address the complex interplay of risks. We need to increase investments in disaster risk reduction for transformative climate change adaptation, with dedicated national budget allocations and regional cooperation for early warning operations and disaster preparedness, particularly in remote and vulnerable areas. Public-private partnerships can foster innovation and scale up solutions.

Secondly, regional cooperation should be used to leverage institution building. High-capacity nations can lead by integrating cutting-edge technology in institution building in medium-capacity countries for community-driven preparedness and resilient infrastructure. Meanwhile, low-capacity nations can benefit from international support to establish basic monitoring and warning systems. Subregional organizations like Asean, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation can further address shared challenges for transboundary solutions.

There should also be concerted efforts to share data and technological innovation, which remain critical to enhancing hazard monitoring and prediction. Technology innovation and the data it generates has boomed, yet data sharing is below its potential. Collective data and technology provide untapped opportunities to significantly enhance preparedness, particularly in underserved coastal areas and less explored non-seismic tsunami sources, such as submarine landslides and mud volcanoes.

Lastly, communities should be equipped and empowered to ensure that resilience is built for all from the ground up. Geo-referenced risk maps that are community-friendly are a critical gap. Community-led initiatives must be empowered by national systems to enhance trust and local ownership of disaster preparedness efforts.

Strengthening resilience. Our commemoration of the 2004 tsunami is a solemn reminder of our shared vulnerability and interdependence. It also demonstrates the power of collaboration in overcoming adversity, best illustrated by the Escap Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness which, in the two decades since its founding, has supported the development of multi-hazard early warning systems.

Established initially by contributions from Thailand and Sweden, with additional funding over the years from India, Italy, the Philippines, and the Asian Development Bank, the fund highlights the need to realize regional fit-for-purpose early warning solutions. They ensure that early warnings reach everyone, and that disasters no longer devastate lives and livelihoods.

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Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is undersecretary general of the UN and executive secretary of Escap.