A total of 30 students, 15 males and 15 females, of Ted Diro Primary school took part in Tsunami Awareness sessions and a mock evacuation drill to commemorate World Tsunami Awareness Day on November 11.

The sessions and mock drills were facilitated by the UNDP Humanitarian Advisory Team, in partnership with the Department of Mineral Policy and Geohazards Management (DMPGM), National Disaster Centre and National Department of Education to raise awareness and promote preparedness in the event of a tsunami in Papua New Guinea.

“The Asia-Pacific region is the most tsunami prone region in the world. Tsunami education, awareness, and preparedness are important and everyone in the community should make it their business to understand the dangers of tsunamis and be prepared,” said UNDP Papua New Guinea Resident Representative, Mr Dirk Wagener.

The most recent example is the January 2022 Tonga tsunami event which was triggered by the Hunga Tonga- Hunga Ha’apai submarine volcanic eruption. This event demonstrated the multi-hazardous nature of risks and how their impacts can cascade through multiple chains affecting directly exposed communities and their livelihoods.

Mr Wagener added that, “by educating our children about the risks, signs, and impacts of tsunamis, we are not only protecting our own populations but also building resilient communities who are better prepared to withstand the devastating impacts of such natural disasters”.

This initiative is part of the ‘Partnerships for Strengthening School Preparedness for Tsunamis in the Asia Pacific Region (Tsunami Project)’ - funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by UNDP. The Tsunami project aims to mitigate impacts of tsunamis by strengthening school preparedness in 18 disaster prone countries in the region. In Papua New Guinea, the Project operates in the New Guinea Islands and Southern Regions.

Launched by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, World Tsunami Awareness Day is observed on November 5 every year, to promote awareness about the importance of education about tsunamis, to ensure that communities act decisively and without panic when tsunami warnings reach them.