On World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025, Natural Hazards Research Australia (the Centre) shines a spotlight on building resilient communities through community education and the Tsunami Ready Programme—a global effort to turn awareness into action.
This year’s campaign champions proactive preparedness, uniting governments, scientists, local leaders and the public to reduce tsunami risks together.
Centre CEO Andrew Gissing believes days like today are an important opportunity globally to highlight the risks that tsunami pose.
“We know that tsunamis can cause destruction and devastation to communities around our globe. That also includes in Australia,” Andrew said.
“Australia has experienced tsunamis before. Fortunately, they have been small in nature. But there is a chance that we could have a devastating tsunami here in Australia. And it's important that we're all aware of that fact and that we do consider how we can prepare.”
Aligned with the themes of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development – “Financing Our Future”, the campaign calls for smart investments in resilience and shared responsibility for safer shores.
“On World Tsunami Awareness Day, communities across Australia can be thinking about how they can be better prepared, researching their tsunami risk, understanding where high ground might be, where they can evacuate to, and how they can raise awareness of tsunami risks within their communities,” Andrew said.
“Natural Hazard Research Australia is investing in research to build safer, more resilient and sustainable communities - and that includes how to make our communities safer from tsunamis.”
In 2022, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) launched the #GetToHighGround campaign to promote awareness about reducing the risk of tsunamis. The campaign encourages citizens to participate in drills, runs, or walks along tsunami evacuation routes, which helps communities prepare for natural disasters and build their resilience. These events are inclusive and engaging, and they involve all people in raising awareness about reducing tsunami risk.
Tsunamis can be deadly, but they needn’t be. Early warning and early action are effective tools to protect people, saving lives, and preventing the hazard from becoming a disaster. To be effective, tsunami early-warning systems must cover every at-risk person, they must be multi-hazard, and communities must be prepared so they can act quickly.
Find out more about the Centre’s tsunami research and World Tsunami Awareness Day.