UN Secretary-General António Guterres says by the year 2030 an estimated 50 per cent of the world’s population will live in coastal areas which are exposed to flooding, storms and tsunamis.
Guterres, in a message marking the 2021 World Tsunami Awareness Day, called on all countries, international bodies and civil society to increase understanding of the deadly threat and share innovative approaches to reduce risks.
“We can build on progress achieved, ranging from better outreach to tsunami-exposed communities around the world, to the inclusion of a tsunami programme in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development”, Guterres said.
The UN chief cautioned, however, that the risked “remain immense.”
“Rising sea levels caused by the climate emergency will further exacerbate the destructive power of tsunamis.
“We must limit warming to 1.5 degrees over pre-industrial averages and invest at scale in the resilience of coastal communities.”
The UN chief noted that rapid urbanisation and growing tourism in regions prone to tsunamis were also putting even more people in harm’s way.
“That is why the UN has chosen enhancing international cooperation for developing countries, as the theme of this year’s World Tsunami Awareness Day,“ he said.
According to Guterres, science, international cooperation, preparedness and early action must be at the centre of all efforts to keep people and communities safer.
“Boosting support to developing countries and improving detection and early warning is critical. In the face of increasing complex global crises, we need to be better prepared”, he argued.
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