Two decades after the wave: Building resilient coastal futures

Children at Vertical Evacuation Shelter overlooking coastline that was once destroyed during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Banda Aceh (Credit: ESCAP Photo/Temily Baker)

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the tragic Indian Ocean tsunami. As we honour those lost, we are also humbled to 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 were lost, 1.7 million people displaced, entire coastal communities wiped away and the economic cost across 14 countries stood over $10 billion. For many, the scars of that tragedy remain visible, not only in the physical landscape but also in the collective memory of the affected communities.

Yet, that fateful day also galvanised unprecedented global solidarity, cooperation and innovation in disaster preparedness. Early warning systems and public awareness of tsunamis have made significant progress, regional cooperation in many aspects is to thank. 

Scattered across the coastlines today are visible investments in warning and evacuation. With regular tsunami drills, sirens sound in multiple languages and children are practiced-ready to lead their families to safety. Vertical shelters stand out along the popular beaches, with standardized evacuation route signage pointing the way. Homes have ready grab bags packed with important documents, medication, torches and batteries. Livestock are also brought to higher ground, and boats stay out in the deep sea, safeguarding livelihoods.

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 (IOTWMS). With Australia, Indonesia and India as regional tsunami service providers, 27 national tsunami warning centres can now receive tsunami threat alerts within 10–15 minutes of a seismic event. 

More than 75 per cent of coastal communities in high-risk areas have access to tsunami early warning information compared to less than 25 per cent in 2004; and community preparedness programs like the UNESCO-IOC 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 (MHEWS) 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.

The rising tide of risk

This story of resilience is far from complete. 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 and 1,450 health facilities, 140 power plants and 1,217 seaports of Asian countries are exposed along the coast.

Figure 1: Population exposed to earthquake-induced tsunami (500-year return period) and multi-hazard hotspots within the tsunami inundation zone. 

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, SAARC and BIMSTEC 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.

Last, but not least, communities should be equipped and empowered to ensure that resilience is built from the ground up for all. 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: A regional imperative

Our commemoration of the 2004 Indian Ocean 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, additional funding over the years from the Governments of India, Italy, the Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand, along with the Asian Development Bank, highlight the steadfast international commitment to South-South and triangular cooperation to realize regional fit-for-purpose early warning solutions.

As we remember that fateful day, let us honor the memory of those lost and commit to a future where coastal communities are resilient, early warnings reach everyone and disasters no longer devastate lives and livelihoods.

(Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific)