The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been working to establish and improve the awareness and preparations for tsunami across 18 countries, many of which are Commonwealth countries previously affected by these climate disasters
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been working to establish and improve the awareness and preparations for tsunami across 18 countries, many of which are Commonwealth countries previously affected by these climate disasters.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was adopted by UN member states in 2015 and is in effect until 2030, with the aim of reducing economic loss and loss of lives as a result of tsunami.
It has carried out on-the-ground action to establish practical, life-saving measures across the Asia-Pacific region.
Since the project’s instigation in July, 2017, it has worked to assess the risk of tsunami in each country, implement emergency procedures, evacuation plans and drills, and help strengthen awareness of the signs and effects of tsunami.
Tsunami evacuation drills were carried out in 16 schools in Indonesia, the Maldives, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vietnam, which involved more than 6,000 students and staff.
MOUs (Memorandums of Understanding) have also been signed by hotels in Bali, Indonesia, agreeing to serve as potential evacuation points.
UNDP has also collaborated with its partners in Indonesia to design a tsunami risk database, which will give policy makers and practitioners critical information to help them build more resilient and risk-informed developments.
Other countries in the region are doing the same with the support of UNDP’s partners on disaster risk reduction, Tohoku University and Fujitsu Ltd.
A spokesperson for the UNDP said: “The Sendai Framework – the first of the major 2015 frameworks to be released – is a roadmap to building resilience and to strengthening development against disasters.
“Initiatives such as the tsunami project, as well as others that emphasize real results that save lives and resources, are critical as we go forward.”
